A Patient Guide 

A little over a year ago, it was an evening like any other. Our kids were fed and we were winding down our evening with playtime, books, and baths. I could hear my eldest and the baby listening to music in the living room and I was preparing to rinse off my middle child after I washed his hair in the shower.

I grabbed the detachable shower head and turned down the water pressure to rinse his hair. He was worried that I would get soap in his eyes and was moving around in the shower. After rinsing his hair, I accidentally dropped the shower head. It started spraying in every direction as the hose wiggled around like a snake.

I instinctively reached down to grab the head when SNAP. My back completely froze as I leaned over with my hand against the shower door. I banged the tap shut and screamed. I called for my husband and through tears yelled, "I can't move. I'm stuck!"

After he carried me to bed and I caught my breath, I realized, yup, I threw my back out.

It was complete agony. After a trip to the hospital and a lot of medication, I was placed on bed rest until my back loosened up again. The first twenty-four hours I threw myself a pity party. "Why now?!" "How am I supposed to work?!" "How will I take care of my family?!"

But then, something stirred in me to offer it up to the Lord. He told me in my heart in His kind but firm way, "You need to rest and you need to let people take care of you."

It was a blow to my pride, but I called upon Him to be with me during my healing. Recovery was grueling, but I leaned on Him throughout it. He was near to me when I called on Him. He guided me in letting others take care of me.

He will be near to you when you call on Him too, just as we hear in today's Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 145:17-18, 19-20, 21). What are you waiting for?

listen to today’s devotion

He was near to me when I called on Him. // @Substance_SoulClick to tweet

Come to understand unitive suffering more intimately with this post.