Week Three: New Orleans

    Hello hello! I cannot believe week three is already down in the books. Sorry everyone but this week wasn’t full of adventures so there aren’t many pictures. I took my days off and sat by the pool in the sunshine and just read some books.

    Monday: This week hit pretty hard because I was truly missing out at home. My grandma, Bernardette, as many of you know, is my world. We have weekly dates, just her and I, and then I see her at least 1-2 times more because of family things. Well she got COVID and it scares the crap out of me. I have seen the virus turn on a dime and just hearing how tired she was, unnerved me. Any of you that know my grandma know that she doesn’t stop, so her telling me that she couldn’t get out of bed did not sit right with me. I wish I could be there helping her but all I can do is pray.  This is what I was most afraid of when traveling but again I just have to cast all my worries and fears on the Lord. 

    Tuesday: Another day at work. Yesterday wasn’t bad at the hospital and today wasn’t either until I admitted a crashing patient. Being a human, I hate to see people toe the line of life and death because they may leave people behind that truly care about them. Being an ICU nurse, I live for that adrenaline. The critical thinking and seeing the process of diagnosis is fascinating to me. There is a high that comes along with saving someone’s life. After 7 hours of stabilizing him, he was sent for an emergency craniotomy at the end of my shift. I don’t know what’s going to come but he will be in my prayers. At night I like to pray for all my patients, past, present, and future, that I God will guide me in their care and anyone else that works with them. After days like these, I am grateful for my bed because after the high there is a definite crash. After getting home, I did a quick check on my grandma and then crashed.

    Wednesday: Today I got to go see Kat, one of my college sorority sisters (and close friend) for lunch. We went down on Magazine street to a restaurant called Rum House. It had a Caribbean vibe and the food was delicious. I did take a photo of my food so no judgement! Kat and I always had an easy way of talking. We could talk for hours and still find things to talk about. I think we could have sat there all day if she didn’t have to study. Being in New Orleans is such a blessing because I have people like her to catch up with and explore from a locals point of view. I spent the rest of the afternoon walking up and down the street, stopping in the little boutiques along the way.

    Thursday: This morning is the second daily mass that I have gone to with this young priest, Fr. Andrew as presider, and I love it. I am trying to find the words to describe his reverence for the Eucharist and I am coming up short. Thinking about it, is giving me chills. The way he speaks at the consecration, you know he is truly in awe and adoration of the gift that God has given him. He looks at the Eucharist with such love, that I know that he sees Jesus’s face every time. I am guilty of taking the Eucharist for granted, but through reading, discussion and examples like him, I find it hard not to look with awe and wonder at what God has made possible.  This church is a little farther away than the ones down the street but the extra drive time is worth it. God called me after mass to a book store that was run by nuns in the parish. I went to get one book but ended up getting four because there was a sale! I started with “The Biblical Roots of the Mass” and I was blown away. Being Catholic, we focus a lot on the New Testament because that’s where Jesus comes in fully. I never realized how rich the Old Testament was with little nuances that all played a part in the life of Jesus and thus the start of the Church. I didn’t get very far because of all the processing and going back between the Bible and the book but I am excited to see where this book takes my faith.

    Friday: Yes, today was another day by the pool reading the book. It seems like nothing to extravagant but that book drops my jaw with every page and new insight. The book is culmination of two thousand years of research and dedication by people way smarter than me. I am very grateful that the Church has passed so much information along because we weren’t there at the time of Jesus and this is our closest way to connect. I wasn’t raised Jewish and am not accustomed to that time frame so what I perceive as something minor, it could mean so much more. If you’re Catholic, I encourage you to read it because it will change your faith. Knowing Jesus is a blessing but do we truly know Him unless we know where He came from. You all know me in some way, but learning more about my past and family and the events that shaped who I am today will give you a fuller understanding of who I am. That’s the way the Bible works for Jesus. Even if He isn’t physically there, like in the Old Testament, there are signs pointing us to Him and teaching us what He was all about. It is truly amazing. 

    Saturday: Final day of work for the week! I got to see Jenna after work so my day ended on a high note. Jenna is my grand little in my sorority but also hopefully a future sister-in-law. My brother doesn’t know it yet but I found him the perfect wife. She even has grandma and mother approval! Even though she is younger than I am, I look up to her in her faith life. She has more faith and love in her heart than a lot of older adults. Being around her I cannot help but smile. We even both remarked how it was like a dream that I was actually living in her city for a while. Like all my Spring Hill friends, we continued our friendship like we just saw each other yesterday. I am immensely blessed that I not only went to that school and made the friends I did, but also have the support years later in a new city and new chapter in my life. 

    Sunday: I wanted to actually do something, other than sit by the pool after church so I got in my car and drove an hour to the beach. The beach wasn’t beautiful like Florida or southern Alabama beaches, but there was sand and there was an ocean, so I was happy. I joke that I am Moana because the water calls me. People in the South take for granted the ocean because they don’t have to drive 20hrs like we do from Nebraska. I know I take a lot of simple things for granted like food, or my car or even my next breath. In the moments on the beach I had to stop myself and just thank God for everything, especially the little things I take for granted. Everything I have and everything I am is because of God, so I just wanted to give credit where credit was due. Nothing in life is guaranteed, not even your next breath. Well almost nothing; the only thing guaranteed is the love of the One who made us. This reminds me of the homily from this morning. October is Respect Life Month and the priest (yes the one I love!) ended with this thought: the only way we can truly respect life is if we love one another. It is as simple and as complicated as that.

    

  

    There you have it! Another week done but not as exciting for you as the previous. Even though this week started off hard, God gave me strength and love that pushed me through. I just realized I always ask God for strength or love but that’s not something I need to ask for. He gives it freely, just takes me recognizing what I need and opening myself to Him. It’s not me waiting on God to give me something, its Him waiting on me. Wow. Anyways, thank you to those that prayed for my grandma. She is doing better and hopefully she will steadily recover. 

Agape,

  Elizabeth