Week Two: New Orleans

    While writing these entries I have a hard time not fully transitioning, so at the end of the day I am going to give you my biggest blessing or something I was truly grateful for that day. It also helps remind me to thank God for every blessing and burden because without them, I wouldn’t know His love. 

    Monday: It was a typical day at work but this time I was by myself! My patients, not only survived but their care was charted appropriately and timely.  One of my new coworkers was talking about traveling in January but she wanted a buddy to go with. I just looked at her and said “I will”. I may or may not have a buddy now. She even remarked how God must have just put me in front of her to get her to go. I feel the same way. Sometimes God speaks in whispers and other times He shouts it and shoves it in your face. I’m a person that needs a 2x4 over the head to finally listen.  Today I am grateful that God put this nurse in my path because it could mean another adventure.  

    Tuesday: It’s days like today I know God can be sarcastic and humorous.  Last night I didn’t set my alarm for daily mass because I thought that if I didn’t wake up in time, I could just go to a noon.  This was really me just making an excuse to not fulfill my goal/wish to go to mass every day I have off. Well God made sure I was up for mass. He even woke me up a little early: 2:00am early. I could not fall asleep for the life of me, so I bided my time until 6:30 mass. After that I couldn’t even fall asleep so I decided a lazy day would be my best option. I’m not one to lay around and watch TV all day but that’s exactly what I did. I got the gumption at 2:00pm to go for a run around a park and it did not disappoint. It was a bird sanctuary so I got to play “Don’t step on the Land Mines” aka bird droppings. It was good to get outside after staring at a screen all day. I definitely needed the rest day because as you have read, I’ve been going and not stopping. 

 

    Wednesday: Today I took a drive down to Jean Laffite National Wildlife preserve, after going to daily mass. (I’m not going to try to “sleep in” any time soon). It was cloudy and there was a chance for storms but that’s what a rain coat was for. I started on a short boardwalk to go see the alligators but not even 20ft in the water was up to the sides and then started seeping through the floor. I’m all ready for adventures but I decided I didn’t need to toe the edge that much. I turned around and started on the longer trail. This took me through what looked like the jungle at the zoo. I was amazed that the same country that had Nebraska had this. Every step I took I fell more in love with God. The complexity of creation just overwhelms me at times, and this was defiantly one of those times. I even face timed some of my cousins because the beauty needed to be shared. God’s love of Creation needed to be shared. Today there is so much hatred in the world but when I’m out in places like these I know that there is hope. I know that there is love. I know that God wants more for us, we just need to love one another as He has loved us. I know, I know easier said than done. So those are my two cents. Through this whole hike I was dodging spiders like a ninja. These aren’t the little ones, but big banana spiders. I’m not one to be scared of spiders but I took my sweet time making sure I didn’t run into them. I ended up grabbing a stick and using it to clear whatever spider web was in my path that I couldn’t just visibly dodge. At one point it started to pour so I went under the leaves of a dwarf palmetto (ya I just googled it), to put on my rain jacket. It was so big that it kept me completely dry. Over halfway through the hike, the path was washed out so I had to double back. I didn’t mind because I already cleared the way. Sometimes life is like that. We get a road block, so we have to go back to where we’ve been. It’s sometimes easier to go back because it’s a place we are familiar with. The hardest part after being back in a familiar place, is getting the gumption to go back out. I went out for college, came home and then had to find the gumption to leave again. Some days are easier than others but I know that with my eyes fixed towards God, I am where I am supposed to be. Obviously I’m trying to summarize the conversations that I had with God because you don’t need to hear the whole four hours’ worth. One last thought for today: its truly remarkable what you learn when you just listen. Just be in the presence of God for 15 minutes and don’t do the talking, just listen. Today I am grateful for the time to just be in the presence of God and recognize it as such.

    Thursday: Since today is the first partly sunny day, I’m going to head to the French Quarter. First stop was Café Du Monde for some beignets. My stomach disagreed with my decision to eat all three but my heart was content with it. I walked down the cobblestone streets and stopped in every little shop that was open. I’m a nerd so I was just imagining the splendor that New Orleans was 200 years ago. I bet it was a site. IT was odd though, that Bourbon street was practically a ghost town during the day. My final stop was St Louis Basilica.  I had been meaning to go to confession this trip and then I saw a sign that they were at 11:30 that day. My watch read 11:29 so I knew God put me there for that reason. Since it was COVID I had to ask the usher for the priest to come out and I just sat in a random pew. I had to speak in hushed tones hoping that no tourists would walk by and hear me airing my dirty laundry. I had never felt more relieved when I got to the “for these and all my sins, I am sorry.” It was all worth it for the sacrament. I still had plenty of day light so my next adventure was going to be a cemetery. Side note: I did not take any pictures in the Quarter because I was running against the meter clock and will be going back on Wednesday! Now back to my day.  On my way there I saw a sign for Chalmette Battlefield and I had to take the detour. It did not disappoint. I was able to walk around on ground that General Jackson fought off the British in 1815. My inner nerd was in a state of pure bliss.  There was a cemetery on the outskirts with men that fought in that battle and then served their country through the other wars. Today I am grateful to be able to pay my respects to those that fought to build and maintain the country we have today.  

    Friday: Another day at the hospital! I love my older patients, like 90+. I got my male patient some warm blankets and then asked if that worked. He said “The only thing better would be your warm body next to me.” I about died laughing while his daughter stood there mortified. As my cousin Akol would say “He had to shoot his shot”. Some of you may think this was creepy and sure it could be if the guy was younger and actually had the audacity to think I would find it charming or whatever their intention is. This man had earlier said “I don’t know the year, and I don’t care. I’ve had too many of them.” He had a good sense of humor so I took everything he said lightly. Later that day I was talking to a young nurse and it came about that we were both Catholic. She invited me to her Church for mass and said that if they had any young adult gatherings she would let me know. We then started talking about our lives and she told me she was excited to marry her fiancé because of the sacrament of matrimony. That was beautiful to me. More people are excited about the dress or the venue or the food but she was anticipating the day because of the sacrament. It gives me chills to even write about it. In this day and age it’s hard to profess your faith if you’re Catholic so finding another young person was a blessing. That is what I am most grateful for today: finding young people that are Catholic that are excited by the different sacraments that we receive.

    Saturday: Since I am a traveler they put me on short shifts so I either will work one or both weekend days. Today thus was another day at work. Nothing too exciting but after work I did get to skype my best friend Lanspa. We both grabbed a bottle of wine and talked for hours about life. Her and I always jump past the surface stuff and go into deeper conversations of life, love and everything in-between. With that glass of wine in hand we like to say that we could solve the world’s problems. It was good to see her because even though I am loving where I am in life, it can get lonely. I’m used to being around family or friends on my days off so just hanging out minimally with other people is odd to me. Today I am thankful for Lanspa and the hours we spent solving the world’s problems.

    Sunday: Today I decided to go to St Clement parish for mass. It was actually the church that the nurse invited me to check out. She normally went at 4pm but I like to start my day with mass so I went to the morning one. The joy that was on the priest’s face through mass was priceless. It was easy to see his love and vigor for God and His Church.  It made me excited to see the nurse again and ask more about the young adult group they were creating. After mass I threw on a swimsuit and lounged and read by the pool for a few hours. It was the only sunny day so far so I had to take full advantage of it! I did end up going to get a snowball because it sounded wonderful on a hot day. For those of you who don’t know what it is, it’s a very fine snow cone. It probably is more like the texture of wet snow and they put all different flavors with it! It is one of the foods that is unique to New Orleans and is well worth the stop. Today I am grateful to be able to read God’s word in the sunshine. 

    This week has come to an end at last. Here’s to a start of a new week with new adventures and blessings in store. 

Agape,

 Elizabeth