FTER FIFTEEN YEARS in health care and many inspirational moments, one memory remains remarkably clear. As I entered the hospital room for the pastoral visit, I was met by a young woman with large blue eyes nervously darting and blinking, a side effect from a drug administered to help prevent a miscarriage.

I learned the young lady feared an eighth miscarriage, which would end again her dream of bearing a live child. As a precautionary measure, she would be confined to bed rest for months, separated from her husband, family and friends. This was a small price for her. Her hope did not waiver as we prayed daily for her child’s life.

Prayer and persistence were rewarded when she delivered her first child alive and healthy.

Marilyn Landry
director of Mission Integration
CHRISTUS St. Joseph’s Home
Monroe, Louisiana