Peace of the Lord

This morning I got a call from Ed. His wife Jo was having a bad morning and she was upset and weepy and wanted to see me. She is in hospice and living in a hospital bed in the living room.

She is one of the sweetest women I think I have ever met. When I went to see her, we held hands and talked. She talked about her parents and seemed to be reliving their death and spoke of the cemetary. And how hard it was.

I asked for a Bible and read to her from John 14 - the verses that I read to both my Dad and my Mom as they lay dying. About the peace that God gives to us. "Peace I give you. Not as the world gives. Believe in God, believe also in me" The scripture that speaks about Jesus who goes ahead and prepares a place for us. I remember reading it to my Dad and he was maybe in a coma, but I felt he heard me. And the evening before my mother died, I told her that I had read this to him and she said "I know." Those were among the dozen words that she spoke to me that evening.

So I read to Jo. This and then Psalm 121 and then Psalm 23. I lined that to her - I said a line and she said a line. And then afterwards I said - the Lord is my shepherd and she repeated it.
And she said over and over again "He prepares my soul."
And I prayer for the peace of the Lord to be with her. And clearly it was. The tears ended and she asked Ed to bring some coffee.

There is power in the word of God and there is power in prayer.
Last night we took part in a healing service at Gender Road Christian Church. We did our reiki for about 6 people. And in our healing touch, and in our silent prayers, and in the presence of God in that place there was peace.
I don't understand any of this. But I trust it and feel blessed to be able to read God's word to people, to pray for them and to be with them in times of need.