Prayer request for my friends from community band

The patty pans squash plant I was checking on yesterday when I saw the goldfinches in the zinnias turned out this afternoon to have a stalk so damaged that I was going to pull it this evening. But before I headed out I had the impulse to check my e-mail and learned that one of the tuba players in our community band had a severe heart attack in the wee hours on Tuesday morning. His wife plays tenor sax in the band and posted updates on Facebook — I don’t know why they didn’t show up in my newsfeed. The blockage that caused the heart attack has been removed, but he suffered anoxia and has brain damage. His prognosis is guarded. He was the healthy spouse and she has a disability. They both are in need of prayers of healing, support and protection.

In a situation like this — because of the brain damage, something I struggle with myself from all the hypoxia before my sleep apnea was diagnosed — I don’t pray for a specific outcome. The master prayer, which I learned from Unity minister Catherine Ponder, which transcends human will and creates the best outcome is, “God’s will be done in this situation now for the highest good of all concerned.” This enlivens infinite wisdom and infinite organizing power and when they are freed up like that, they can produce results so amazing that they like miracles. This prayer also enlivens faith and trust, which help ease the pain of your more agonizing miracle processes.

Update, 7/23/2010, Fri.: Kelly said good-bye to Steve on Thursday afternoon. It is one of his wishes to be an organ donor and the requirements for calling the time of death due to brain death are strict. Kelly says he will meet the requirements sometime today. A memorial service will be held on July 31.

Since Steve played the tuba, in his honor, here is one of the world’s greatest tubists, Roger Bobo, playing “Carnival of Venice” on “The Tonight Show” and then being interviewed by host Johnny Carson:

Bobo mentions a sousaphone — it is the marching version of the tuba.