The Church: the hands and feet of Christ

Dear Friends,

Thank you for welcoming me back with such kindness. It is so good to worship with you again.

Last week, I promised to share more details of my sabbatical with you. I also mentioned that I am calling my sabbatical experience Nurse, Drive, Swim (like the book, Eat, Pray, Love).

The first part of my sabbatical was spent caring for my husband as he recovered from surgery. As many of you know, my husband JD injured his neck in a roller coaster accident in his twenties. After living an active lifestyle, including participating in three Ironman races, his spine had begun to degenerate and by 2015 he was in a lot of chronic pain. My sabbatical began on May 1 and JD went into spinal surgery at Baptist on May 3. The care he received there was excellent, and the love we felt from this congregation was enormous. He left the hospital after staying only one night and we began the process of recovery.

I was so afraid that JD would fall or hurt himself. I prayed hard and tried to make sure that he was comfortable and safe. The first few weeks were very painful for him, but he began to see improvement by about the fourth week. I began driving him back to work after only two weeks. In the quiet hours at home, I found myself writing a lot. I was able to complete a good portion of the manuscript for my book during my time alone with JD. I was glad to have had that time with him.

Often when a loved one has surgery, the one who is in the waiting room has the hardest time. I was thankful for the excellent medical care JD had, and for the prayers of so many. Having a church community during such a time helps so much. My prayer group came and prayed with us before the surgery, and I felt like I was being held in the arms of God.

Please know that one of the best parts of church is the love in this community that can be given to you when and if you are in the hospital or have a serious health issue. Let us know! We have prayer warriors, parishioners who can bring food, and clergy who can come and bless you. Don’t try to manage your illnesses alone; let us be Christ’s hands and feet and care for you.

JD and I were cared for by this community so beautifully I will forever be grateful.

In Christ’s love,

Kate+