As I stood in the Signature parking lot this morning getting ready to go live with a broadcast with 74 Signature other campuses, and watching hundreds of business leaders, many stakeholders, religious pioneers, and facility residents, side by side with our most prominent political leaders from our state and city, the parking lot filled up quickly getting ready to start National Day of Prayer. I realized this was an epic moment for me!
Maybe a near decade long dream realized… it started over seven years ago when I almost lost my faith and everything else for that matter when my son, Luke, was born at just 24 weeks with complex brain bleeds. He fought for his life in the NICU, and I know many of you know the story, but I believe three things came out of that experience.
- My private prayers did not heal him. He was healed by 1,125 people who prayed with me from many religions through prayer chains, letters, etc. I realized learned Miracles do happen when we pray together.
- Every SHC stakeholder or resident needed to have the exact same support, compassion, prayer warriors, and access that I had in order to be a social just company and launch a spirituality pillar. So Dianne and I started on a scary journey that is getting deep traction with a 500 plus member prayer chain, 1,200 contributors to our Compassion Fund, 74 facility based chaplains, and many miracles around us daily.
- I established a covenant with God to tell the story as a witness and personal testimony to anyone who is struggling with tragedies, darkness, or faith….and the National Day of Prayer was the perfect culmination for me to celebrate my personal restoration from darkness to light!
Remember, this day of prayer links you back to Washington and the First Continental Congress, and to many epic Presidents at critical points in time such as Lincoln after the painful Civil War for healing purposes, or by Eisenhower for protection. This is our chance to link to our founding fathers, and move this sacred day into the workplace like never before.
Today, you had to see it to believe it….great political leaders talking openly about discernment, epiphanies, and personal prayers, and then 12 religious leaders from all major religions on a stage in a parking lot together, one by one, delivering a personal prayer from their personal faith to all of us. Some from historical points of view, some scripture based, some spiritual learning, some beautiful chants, some beautiful songs, but they all linked to the same divine purpose… to eliminate human suffering, have compassion and mercy in every encounter, learn and grow into God’s purpose, hear God’s voice to discern, and serve fellow man so world peace becomes a reality and humanity purpose is manifested the way God intended!