Today he's flying to Saluzzo Italy for the "Festival of Life."
Young people from around the world will be descending on the mountain town to celebrate the gift of their lives with Mother Elvira. She's the Catholic nun who God anointed to care for young men and women who have descended into darkness and despondency and all too often into the diabolical disease of addiction.
As we spoke with Johnny today by telephone he sounded anxious but very excited about his new assignment...He's always Loved the adventure of new lands and unfamiliar territory...But on this trip he will carry with him a familiar, firmly rooted foundation of prayer, brotherhood and Eucharistic celebration.
Johnny spent one year in the community of Our Lady of Hope in St. Augustine Florida and believe me, that was no small feat. Living for 365 days on one piece of land without television, computers or cell phones took a great deal of discipline and a whole lot of prayer. He went without the things he'd grown dependent on, but as he once told us, he had everything he needed.
I had the unexpected grace of seeing and speaking to Johnny five weeks ago when I helped my friend Judy bring her son into the community. A beautiful smile flashed across his face when he saw me and as we hugged each other he said, "I had a feeling you would be here." I Love those feelings. I experience them often..Those whispers from God who is giving us a heads up about something really important.
As I listened to Johnny's brothers tell him goodbye, their Loving, respectful words of encouragement and admiration touched me deeply. I later learned Johnny passed on lots of solid, brotherly advice and even some spiritual wisdom. One of my sons teared up as they spoke and later he shared, "I was just so happy to finally talk to him."
Johnny has experienced a resurrection from the dead. Maybe not physically, but certainly emotionally and spiritually. Though he has always been a deeply introspective child and spiritually intuitive, he is now free from the chains that bound him tightly to the path of self destruction. He has literally been transformed into a young man of faith, hope and charity and he is becoming a living witness to the timeless belief that with God all things are possible.
Johnny is proof that when we surrender our will to the will of God, miracles do happen. By patiently trusting in a process that is counter cultural, God transported him from his inner darkness into a new life of light and truth.
No child is immune to this kind of healing, no matter how far gone they may seem or how deeply inconsolable they may be. My motto has been to never, ever give up on them-no matter how difficult their circumstance.
God's amazing grace can save anyone, at any time, anywhere...All we have to do is ask and then surrender in trusting, unbridled belief. So please don't ever give up-I didn't and I am so very grateful that God did for my son, what he could not do on his own.
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