November 18: Languishing, Sister, Prayer for Health

"Maybe," said Charlotte quietly.  "However, I have a feeling I'm not going to see the results of last night's efforts.  I don't feel good at all.  I think I'm languishing, to tell you the truth."

Charlotte isn't just languishing at this point in the book.  She's a couple of days away from dying.  She has created her egg sac and secured Wilbur's safety.  Basically, she has expended the last ounce of her energy.  In a couple of pages, she's too weak to even move any of her legs.


I have a sister right now who's languishing.  She was just admitted into the hospital this afternoon.  Tomorrow, she will be undergoing surgery for a seroma of soft tissue and bone.  I'm not exactly sure what that exactly means.  I know it's a serious, life-threatening infection.  My sister had back surgery last month.  Her surgical wound is not healing.  It's sort of festering.  The infection might have reached her spine.

I am so tired of this year.  So much has gone wrong in 2014.  My jobs.  My brother's death.  Two sisters with terrible health issues.  Money issues--always.  As this year winds down, it seems to be going out with a huge thunderclap instead of a whisper.

A Capuchin monk named Solanus Casey (who's on his way to canonization), once said, "In the crosses of life that come to us, Jesus offers us opportunities to help Him redeem the world.  Let us profit by His generosity."  I suppose that's a comforting thought, that all the storms of life are opportunities of redemption.  When you are out in the boat in the storm, however, it's sometimes difficult to see the shore.  At the moment, I'm looking for the shore.  For my opportunity to redeem the world in my sister's situation.

My sister's worried about a lot of things right now.  Her health.  Her job (and whether she's going to have a job to return to--she's already taken a great deal of time off for surgeries and recuperation this summer).  She has many crosses.  I'm asking you to pray for her.  Please.  Pray that she finds her opportunity for redemption, whatever form it may take.  She is suffering a great deal, physically and mentally.  Tomorrow, she goes into surgery again.

Saint Marty is a little tired of crosses at the moment.  A little salvation would be nice.

This is what I'm looking for