Healing Waters

 

I am at Walgreen’s trying to download a photo that I took in Oregon to create a “Get Well” card for a Sonshine Friend who has started chemotherapy.

 

The struggle begins that the photo is on my computer and on not my IPhone. I call Apple Support and Cassy guides me through the steps to upload the image from the computer to my cell phone.

 

Step Two. I have to figure out how to download the photo from my IPhone to the Walgreen website to print a blank card. Ricky, the Walgreen customer service manager comes to my rescue. He connects my IPhone to the Walgreen print machine and it starts to download. But it doesn’t complete the download. He says the cord is defective. Thank God he has another cord and says “this should work.” He plugs in the new cord and presto, my image is being uploaded to make our “Get Well” card. Another God moment in my life when a stranger goes beyond the call of duty and helps in our time of need.

 

The card is for a special person whose cancer diagnose was grim. Treatment was available but the prognosis was only a ten percent chance of survival. So my friend did a goggle search and found a treatment center that welcomes patients who have a grim prognosis. She got on a plane with her mom and she is receiving special treatment to cure her cancer and asking for prayers from friends and family. This is what I wrote her…

 

“Pardon this type message, but Susan says she can’t read my printing.

Yes, Phoenix is very warm, (it was 106 degrees) but the photo on this card is an image that I took in Oregon one week ago. It is Multnomah Falls, the most famous waterfalls in Oregon. However, unlike the thousands of IPhone shots of this waterfalls taken by tourists, I found a composition that I believe reflects a unique perspective that conveys hope and healing.

 

My hope is when you look upon this image, it will bring to mind and heart a cool and refreshing moment in which you can spend time with God bathing in His healing arms. Let’s call this photo: “Healing Waters.”

 

Know that you are protected by your guardian angel and that she will bring you much comfort and peace of body, mind, heart and soul.

 

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who are struggling with a cancer

In their life and in need of hope and healing.

 

Now let me share my “Healing Waters” photo and ask a favor. If you wouid like a 8x12 metal print, fully mounted with wire and hooks ready to display on a wall in your home or office, call or email and I will have this print mailed directly to your home. This would make a great holiday or “get well’ gift to someone your love.

 

Call Fr. Matt at 585-520-8650 or email: drmattkawiak@gmail.com

 

 

Pay It Forward

 

I received a text from a Sonshine Friend visiting Portugal. He was visitng the Chapel of the Bones in Evora. This monestery chapel is filled with bones from the monks who had lived and served in the local monastery. The bones are a tad gruesome hanging up on the walls of the church, but their purpose was to allow the remaining monks to pray for their souls so that they would go from purgatory back to heaven. It was recorded that wealthy merchants would have their bones and skulls hang form the rafters to hedge their bets to get into heaven. So much for piety.

 

However, when my friend left the church, he found a parking ticket on his rental car.  What happened next is a “God moment.” I am passing on his story for your reflection.

 

“So do good and honest people still exist? I think this is a question I have struggled with for years. Always protect yourself…trust very few.  

I got a parking ticket earlier this week in Evora which is about 3 hours away from 

Lagos where we are staying. After trying for a couple of days to resolve it with the authorities in Evora, I was getting no where fast. If I didn’t pay the fine, I would have a $300 fine attached to me that had to be paid before I could return to the country…. The fine is $18.72 euro. 

I returned the car and explained to the agent that this all happened and he said that this isn’t a problem and that he would pay the fine for me. I insisted on paying him the amount due as well as more for his trouble. I was notified today that the fine was paid and all was well. 

I went back to the rental agency to thank him but he wasn’t there. Will return tomorrow to thank him and drop off some pastries. 

It is so refreshing that total strangers take care of total strangers. Lesson learned. We all need to take this to heart and pay it forward. What a wonderful world this will be!

 

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who go beyond the call of duty in serving and caring for others. May the Good Lord reward you for all the unknown generous deeds you have performed in this life.  Pay it Forward.