We Have A Heavenly Father Above...

It's that time of year again. Twelve months have passed. She has added another year to her age. Sometimes, at our age they are just another bump in the highway that we have to endure. This one's a little different. Special. 'Cause, less than a year ago, no one was certain that Mom was coming home to us. I wrote this short story for a writing contest early in 2007. It won nothing, but it gives a little glimpse of what transpired in late December of last year.

It was an uneventful evening. My wife of twenty-six years and I shopped at Wal-Mart and then stopped at a fast-food restaurant before driving home. After watching a movie, as my wife turned over to switch off the bedside light, she grabbed her chest and said, “You need to call 911!”
She had undergone surgery about a week earlier to repair a hiatal hernia. She had been experiencing shortness of breath and pain, but her physician had attributed it to normal recovery from that procedure. Little did we know that her problem was much more serious. The next few hours and days were a blur of doctors, hospitals and family.
Nothing gets your attention quicker than the love of your life asking you to call 911. Rena is a registered nurse and when she knows something is wrong, you act! The dispatcher assured me help would be there soon.
Rena was holding her chest in severe pain and losing consciousness. I called for my daughter, Ally, to come to the bedroom. As Rena struggled to breathe, Ally climbed onto the bed, held her hands and tried to keep her mom talking, while I felt for her pulse. We watched helplessly as her face became gray. We assured her help was on the way.
The rescue squad arrived at our country home in about twenty minutes after making a wrong turn. Rena fainted as they loaded her on to the stretcher. After a quick drive to the hospital, she was rushed into the emergency room where they found a feeble pulse and dangerously low blood pressure. After a few moments, a grim-faced doctor informed me that it was not looking good. Their plan was to take her by helicopter to a larger facility to treat what they believed was a blood clot in the lung. However, after determining she had a collapsed lung, they quickly changed their mind and took her by ambulance.
One day later, she underwent major surgery. The surgeon removed two liters of blood from her chest cavity, some of which had clotted and collapsed her left lung, impeding the function of her heart. He also removed an unnecessary blood vessel which had been oozing for several days and repaired her damaged aorta. After several hours of nervous waiting, we were privileged to see her again.
Now, eight weeks later, she is on the mend and back to work. When I look into her face now, I recall that frightening night, and realize how quickly the ones that we love can be taken from us. Hold your loved ones a little closer tonight. I will be doing the same!
LJL2007

She did this once before, you may recall. I was at school teaching when a man stopped in to inform me that my wife had been in an accident. I asked if she was okay, and he said that she had cut her lip. A sigh of relief. Then, I drove to the scene. Ambulances. Fire trucks. Long backup of traffic. Never mind the relief. I parked and ran. When I got to the crash they were loading her into the ambulance. It had been almost a head-on collision. I met her at the hospital. She had a broken wrist, injured knees, a hole in her chin and a nearly severed tongue. So much for a bloody lip!

So, she has a history of not being very nice to us. Nevertheless, I am wishing her a very special "Happy Birthday" today. I love you, Rena.

Not eveyone's story ends with everyone living happily ever after. Some of you reading this may have stories that didn't end happily. God alone knows how to run this world. Here's the song that has been running through my mind through this past night. Maybe it helps to explain why Momma is with us today!

Verse I
Consider the lilies they don’t toil or spin
Yet there’s not a king with more splendor than them
Consider the sparrows they don’t plant or sow
But they’re fed by the Master who watches them grow

Chorus

We have a Heavenly Father above
With eyes full of mercy
And a heart full of love
He really cares when
Your head is bowed low
Consider the lilies and then you will know

Verse II

May I introduce you to this friend of mine
Who hangs out the stars and tells the sun when to shine
And kisses the flowers each morning with dew
But He’s not too busy to care about you