Another Hallmark Holiday
Many of us know that there should be another Hallmark
Holiday,
one dedicated to the caregivers of loved ones with chronic, degenerative diseases.
Cards would express sorrow for our loss –
loss of sleep, self-care, freedom and peace of mind,
loss of the person we love though they remain,
and expressions of encouragement –
enjoy the precious moments as they appear,
like when a relative visits and you can leave the house
for an hour,
like when your beloved is having a good day,
like when they remember who you are,
or when you can laugh at the absurdity of your life.
Instead of candy, the gifts of choice for this holiday
would be medical marijuana
and those digital photo frames that cycle through happy
memories long past, long lost.
Yet this holiday would most likely fizzle out despite
skilled commercial efforts…
because no one is interested in chronic.
No one wants to enter the pain of being stuck
in what feels endless, meaningless and hopeless,
terminal yet not knowing how it will worsen or when it
will end.
And that is precisely the point, we are invited deeper,
deeper into love as the person we love fades away.
Reflection and Prayer
Like the man at the pool, when we are alone, we can feel stuck. The same is true for someone with a chronic illness or their caregiver. Notice that Jesus does not hesitate to engage with the man at the pool, and the same with us—he is eager to join us when we are stuck and feeling alone. And that is the pathway for love, healing (in all its forms) and freedom.
Take some quiet time to search your heart and your life for your pain and how you feel stuck. Invite Jesus to be with you there. Tell him about how it feels. Then allow him to pray over you. If others are deeply connected with your situation, for example, if you are a caregiver for someone with a chronic situation, then invite that person into the scene with you and Jesus. Then join with Jesus in praying for that person. Finally, ask Jesus for a word of healing and hope that you both can take with you. Keep this word in your heart as a touchstone for his love.