When Someone Showed Me the Way of Hope
When our family was sick with COVID-19 it was an incredibly challenging time. My husband and I had never felt so sick in our lives. We were barely able to get out of bed and we still had to take care of our four small children. My husband’s illness progressed to pneumonia and we felt very worried and helpless.
We were quarantined for 21 days. We had to cancel our plans and normal activities, the kids could not go to school, and we were all stuck in a house together, trying to get by. The worst part of it all was the isolation—I felt so alone and angry that this had happened to us. I realize now how this virus affected us not just physically, but emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually as well. It exposed the weakest parts of us. I confronted the reality that I did not suffer well. I did not serve my family well. I didn’t know how to take on this situation with grace and dignity. And that made me feel utterly hopeless.
The amazing thing about this entire experience was being surrounded by our incredible community. We had friends, family, and even strangers dropping off meals and sending groceries almost every day. I didn’t have to cook a single meal while we were sick. Our kids received fun care packages with arts and crafts, books, and new toys to play with. We had a wonderful priest who risked his health to bring us Holy Communion and to give my husband the Anointing of the Sick. It was amazing to see a community rise up to rally around a family who needed help. They brought us so much hope without expecting anything in return.
It was through our beautiful community that I was able to receive the love of Jesus. They sacrificed and gave of themselves at a time when I had nothing to give. It reminds me of how Jesus gave Himself freely to humanity without expecting anything in return, only hoping that we would accept His precious gift and love Him in return. How amazing is His love for us! I pray that we would always remember that we are not alone. May we never lose hope in the goodness of people and more importantly, let us never lose hope in the goodness of Jesus.
Let Us Pray
Jesus, help us to receive the love You offer us through others. We can be proud, ashamed, or fearful to depend upon others—to depend upon You—but we know that this is the key to intimacy and fidelity. Grant us the grace to allow others to hope for us and with us when our hope falters. Amen.
For Discussion
Have you ever needed to depend on someone for material or physical needs? What was the posture of your heart: resistant, grateful, humbled, moved, etc.?
Did this dependence upon others influence your dependence upon God?
They That Hope: The 2022 Prayer Pledge // Day 11 #BISblog #prayerpledge //Click to tweet
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Maggie Kim is a wife and mother to 4 kiddos. She became a Catholic convert in 2013 after discovering her love for the Eucharist, Sacred Tradition, and the powerful intercessory prayers of the Saints. As a registered nurse, she has a passion for fertility awareness, the pro-life movement, and anything else related to mothers and babies. In her free time, she likes to read thriller novels, eat desserts, and watch movies with a strong cup of coffee. Her husband, Paul, is a Catholic speaker so she understands the ups and downs of ministry life but loves being able to serve in this God-given mission alongside her family. You can find out more about her here.
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