Being grateful (just for today)

I was on our hospice unit doing Reiki with my student, Dottie, and "Elizabeth" came onto the unit. Carol asked me to see her, "see is completely alert, dying of cancer with lung mets, in a lot of pain, and terribly fearful."

We joined her family and pastor, sat and talked. "Elizabeth" had an oxygen mask on and said," get this off me, get this off me." She was moaning in pain, and i removed her mask as carefully as i could. Dottie went to ask Carol to bring a nasal cannula, and "Elizabeth" started gasping for breath. She could barely talk with us, the cannula came, and her breathing eased.

The pastor agreed to support our trying Reiki, he'd heard of it, and he added "I'm only an assistant pastor." I asked him to pray for "Elizabeth" and asked Dottie to focus her Reiki energy though the pastor's voice. I went to the foot end of the bed, and added my "intention" to support the pastor's prayer.

The family gathered around and we joined hands. The pastor's voice was soft but firm, and he prayed for "Elizabeth." "You are a child of the Lord, and he loves you. We're going to pray like we never before, Lord help your child."

There was a sense of a very bright light filling the room. As "Elizabeth" calmed, we could feel her pain leave her. And then her voice started to sing softly, "thank you Lord, thank you Lord, thank you Jesus, thank you Lord, i am yours Lord, i am yours Lord, thank you Lord."

She fell asleep, she was still with us, breathing softly, like a child in a state of comfort.

It was a great blessing to be in that room in that moment. In this moment, seeing this soul taken from a state of pain to a state of gratefulness, transcending the cancer, and thanking her creator. In this place, there was no room for pain, or anxiety, fear or turmoil. Human beings can find a state of grace.

Thank you Lord for permitting me to do this work. Thank you Lord for allowing me to share in this human moment. Thank you Lord for letting me have a Team of wonderful people to work with.

There are so many things to worry about, so many things to be angry about, but, just for today, just for this moment, allow me too to be grateful. And let people share in each other's compassion.