As I was leading our Senior Adult Prayer Retreat the other day, I once again found myself the learner.

I had just played John Michael Talbot’s “Sacred Silence” and directed the group to spend 5 minutes listening to what the Holy Spirit was saying to each of them.

As my eyes scanned the room I noticed one man, nearly 95 years old, with his right arm in the air, his left hand grasping the extended right wrist, and his mouth hanging open. The nurse in me wondered if he was in distress. I watched for signals that would prompt me to intervene but found none.

When we reported on what we had learned during this time of silence, this man said that the Spirit had prompted him to feel his pulse and reminded him that Jesus was behind that beat. His heart would beat until Jesus called him home.

This man then invited each of us to feel our pulse and be reminded that each beat is by God’s grace and under God’s control. Life, the gift of God, measured in time by heartbeats and recognized by a man who is near to the heart of God.