Hey Look Honey, There’s the Pope!

My husband and I just got back from a trip to Italy. We had been planning this for several months and had quite a jam-packed, 10-day itinerary planned. There was no room for error.

Our last day in Rome was a Sunday and we were headed to St. Peter’s Basilica. Yes in hind-sight it was a poor idea to visit the Vatican’s church on a Sunday morning, but our schedule didn’t allow for much else.

When we got to the church, the courtyard was beginning to fill up with people. We toured the church then climbed the dome to get an aerial view of Rome. After climbing about 550 stairs we got to the top of the dome. When we looked down, the courtyard was really getting full of people. When we came back down and attempted to exit the courtyard we were completely stuck. There was no going in or out!

The next few things happened all at once. We heard some regal music, everyone looked up toward one spot and the crowd went WILD! A lady behind me started yelling “Papa, Papa.” Yes, we saw the Pope. He addressed the crowd, gave a blessing and 15 minutes later he was gone.

This reminded me of Proverbs 16:9: We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.

We may think we have a well put together itinerary or plan, but God sometimes guides through interesting and unexpected steps to get there. We can either accept the steps graciously or not.

I thought my husband was going to blow a fuse due to the delay in our itinerary. But to my surprise he expressed how amazing it was to see the Pope. That ended up being one of the most memorable parts of our trip.

Michelle Heriford

God has a plan

My husband, Jim, and I have been married for 40 years; therefore, his family is like my family. Actually, it was one of his sisters, Kathleen, that got us together on a blind date. She was my good friend and Jim was her little brother, away at college. A story for another time.

When Jim’s family hurts, I hurt. My sister-in-law, Judy, has hurt a lot in the past few years. She has lost her husband, her Mom and Dad -- one year apart -- her mother-in-law, and had a severe stroke that took months of recovery. Last summer, they said she needed a series of three serious surgeries to fix multiple aneurisms. The first surgery took place last August; the second was three days after Christmas; and the third on Feb. 28.

Judy recovered from the first and second surgery, but the third was another story. She never regained consciousness and remained in ICU for 39 days. The diagnosis is that even if or when she does become conscience, she will be paralyzed from the neck down. Last week she was transferred to another critical care facility closer to her extended family. Her only child lives nine hours away in Illinois.

We’ve had so many believers praying for Judy and I wonder what God’s plan is for her life. But the other day I realized that had she not been diagnosed with these aneurisms, I would not have felt the urgency to present Christ to her. She gave her heart to the Lord three days before the first surgery. If she has to lay there paralyzed, it is so much better than going to hell in a healthy body!

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6

Patricia Harvey