A New Heart w/ Carol Bayliss

Speaking of Sabbath and how to properly celebrate - it seemed like the perfect time for Carol Bayliss to share.  If you don't know her, Carol is a long-time Westside gal.  She's stylish, spunky and surprising.  She loves travel, great food, theater - and her better half.  Carol's climbed many mountains in her time, but the most recent was a spiritual Everest.  It began with some health complications, and long story short, Carol found herself at UCLA waiting for a new heart.  And she waited, and waited and waited.

For 6 months she lived on the fourth floor, waiting for the heart that would save her life.

Sabbaths came and went.  As a church, we celebrated Sabbath without her present, but certainly she was heavy on our minds.  We visited her on Sabbath.  We prayed as a congregation for her heart, but mostly for her soul.  We learned new songs while she was gone, and I often thought of her returning and finding so much changed, so much new.  While she was gone, Oceans became one of our favorites.  Little did we know it was becoming one of hers as well.


Finally - the call came - Carol was getting a heart!!!  We celebrated.  On a visit post-surgery, she shared this video of her hearing her new heartbeat for the first time.  We were all overcome with the significance.  Take a look.

From Carol:

This video was  taken shortly after I had my first echocardiogram after the transplant.  Watching my new heart working normally was so amazing!!  I could not believe how incredible it was to see this normal heart working in my body. It was one of those moments of  over whelming joy, gratitude, and praise! 

This experience and how my faith was stretched and grounded is expressed in the song from Hillsong United, Oceans.

Spirit lead me where me my faith is without borders 

Let me walk upon the waters

Wherever you would call me

Lead me deeper than my feet could ever wander

And my faith will be made stronger

In the presence of my Savior

I will call upon your name

Keep my eyes above the waves

When oceans rise

My soul will rest in your embrace

For I am Yours and You are mine

Trusting even in the darkest night was all I could do to endure the pain and suffering of the months before and weeks after my transplant. God and I know my body, so I was prepared for a rough ride through the many drugs that had to come my way, but without my anchors - my precious Savior and dear husband - I would not have been able to endure the side effects of the meds and the discomfort these things caused. That was the most difficult experience of all, the shaking and chills, the constant dialyses and not to forget all the lines attached to both sides of my neck! 

Praise God those days are over and a new chapter in my life has begun.

Several ladies came for regular visits before my transplant and those visits meant so much to me.  Thank you for the extra time out of your busy lives that was spent with me. Thank you ladies for your  prayers that were felt especially when I could hardly pray for myself.  I can't wait till I can join you again and share your fellowship and prayers which will be very soon. 

Indeed it was very soon!  Carol returned a few weeks ago to service and there was an audible gasp when she walked in.  We all sang with more gusto, jumping to our feet to praise God.  We took communion with more cognizance of God's mercy.  We confessed with greater appreciation for God's transformative power - afterall, there was a new heart in the room... 

And that's what Sabbath is about - celebrating the good, and what's not good - well...making it new.