We Blessed Couples who have received the Holy Marriage Blessing are God’s problem solvers.
People are suffering here on earth. There is so much dysfunction and division. Sin is an addiction for most people. We are here every day to solve problems.
I remember when my husband, Dietrich, was counseling couples, he could always think of a remedy for their different difficult situations:
The first one was always to keep faith.
The second one, go to church together. This acts like a protection. We always need protection every single day of our life.
Then, always pray together. This is our anchor, our stabilizer. Our assurance for Heavenly Parent to be with us.
I do not like to eat alone. I know for sure my husband does not like to eat alone either. Now that Dietrich is no longer with me on the earth, I wish I could just see him next to me again.
In fact, we Blessed Couples are supposed to open up the communication between the two worlds. Even though we are not mediums, we can talk by feelings, sending loving thoughts, and receiving joyful impressions.
Sharing heartfelt sorrows rejuvenates our spirit of love, because we need to function as a couple in two different worlds, always together. As Dietrich said “Beloveds, forever together.” This way we continue to be God’s problem solvers.
When my daughter Diesa was in her early twenties, she planned a trip to Haiti to lead a camp for a young girls’ basketball program called “Raise her” in January 2010.
Arriving in Haiti she met the amazing Dr. Renee who created the Haitian Academy, with whom she would work on her program for the girls. One day, as she was waiting in one of the classrooms for the next group of girls who were late, all of a sudden she had an intuition, a gut feeling, an impulse out of the blue to grab her bag and get out as fast as she could.
At that moment of stepping out, she felt as if a big truck was rolling after her as the buildings started crumbling around her. It was the big Haitian earthquake which hit the island. Because she intuitively recognized God’s premonition she could be safe. Soon after that episode, Dr Renee drove the school bus with Diesa to check on the casualties and bring people to the hospital, as much as they could. It was untold hardship to hear people screaming under buildings. At this point Diesa was drafted to the hospital, where she was attending patients and putting her hand to things she had never done before, like putting a cast on someone, or encouraging people with words when no medicine could be found.
From left: Diesa with girls from the Haitian Academy (school), Top right: Diesa with one of the girls who attended the basketball camp, Bottom: January 2010 (days after the earthquake in Port-au-Prince)
She said it was amazing how people responded to words of care, of love, of reassurance, words of comfort, of hope: “You will be OK, you are tough, you will make it.” Men, women and children were grabbing her arm or hand, or leg, thinking she was the American doctor, who could do everything and anything and with her around they would be OK; they would be safe. In Haiti, their motto is: l’espoir fait vivre – Hope brings life.
As for me at home, seeing and hearing the horrific news on television about the devastating earthquake, and trying to keep my husband away from the news, I did not hear from my daughter. During the longest 48 hours of my life, my dear friend Inge was with me, trying also to make sense of it all, and she kept saying to me, “She is tough, she is strong, she will make it,” doing with me what Diesa was doing at the hospital.
Finally, Diesa could find a computer and email us a message which said:
I am ok!!! Be strong and courageous, and do not be afraid or discouraged, for the lord God, my God is with you (1 Cor 28:20). I am using internet at a missionary s house which only works sometimes. No cell services anywhere. Please tell my mom I am OK. I love you all. Pray for Haiti. We need medical help. Hospitals collapsed.
As I was finishing writing this story this morning, I read in one of my emails a friend of mine quoting John F. Kennedy, one of our past presidents, who closed his inaugural address with these words:
With a good conscience, our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking HIS blessing and HIS help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.
Be safe, be home, be tough. Blessings from your friend, Elisabeth
If we have faith, believing the unbelievable, if we have love, loving the unlovable, and if we have the ability to forgive, Jesus said seventy times seven times, then our life will be worth living and meaningful.
Any act of love, of kindness, will make our credit in our bank of love go up. My husband always said, let’s make sure our love credit is high then in times of hardship and struggle we have already a high credit.
An act of love and kindness makes my heart melt. A couple of weeks ago as I was taking my daily walk around the neighborhood, a lady who lives on the next street stopped me. She had just parked her car and was unloading her bags. She asked if I was celebrating Christmas. I said, yes of course. Then she said she had a gift for me. I was surprised because I never met her before. She said it was from the heart – from her heart to mine – she wanted to buy me a special gift. It was a beautiful silvery heart for Christmas decoration. She said that when she sees me walking, she thinks of our story that she read in the local newspaper. Then she gave me a hug.
This is the beautiful heart my neighbor gave me as a gift.
Unexpected encounter that brings Christmas joy. Random acts of kindness that make the heart melt. Did not Jesus say to love our neighbors like ourselves?
And a gift to ourselves: to forgive, because when we cannot forgive, we have grudges. Grudges are no good for anybody, especially the people who hold them. They bubble up and then fester, fester, fester. So, we need to let go.
We do not let go of the truth, or the right, or the seven virtues, but the arrows which came in our direction and wounded us. Time and forgiveness are the greatest healers of all.
So, this Christmas season let’s all make gifts of love, believing the unbelievable things, loving the unlovable, and praying for the ability to forgive all the hurts we received that could not heal until today, because today we are making a wish: We have the ability to forgive.
Here is the link to the newspaper on their website, where the article is seen beginning on the front page.
Dietrich F. Seidel 