 |
||||||||||
 |
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
On Christmas day 2003, I got out of bed, went into the kitchen and poured two cups of coffee. As I approached my wife, Connie, with the morning brew, she saw that it was spilling everywhere. When she said something about it, I could only respond with slurred speech. Connie rushed me to the emergency room where we remained for nine hours before they knew I had suffered a major stroke in the area of my brain stem.
My right side was almost completely non-responsive. Only my right thumb would move slightly. It was frightening. I was taken to the Intensive Care Unit and Connie called all eight of my children with the disappointing Christmas news. Connie and our daughter, Leasa, began a constant vigil, taking turns staying with me at the hospital.
A continual stream of visitors poured in. My children came from Minnesota, Georgia and Texas to help. Together with Connie and Leasa, our Sunday School class made certain that I was never left alone. I was facing my most difficult situation ever but family and friends were facing it with me. I was amazed that my life had so much meaning to others and it reminded me that God was still with me, stroke or not.
Hundreds of prayers were lifted by Lovers Lane Church and others, both in my room and elsewhere for my survival and later for my recovery. Norm, from our Sunday School class, came to visit me at the hospital. He told me how he had been in a helicopter accident in Viet Nam that had left him totally paralyzed but God had brought him back to full recovery. This encouraged me to look to God and work diligently through therapy.
After many weeks, I was on a cane and my therapist said she expected
I would be walking unaided soon. I thought she was crazy. But after one
week of out-patient rehab, I was walking on my own. Connie called me “her
walking miracle”. God has been with me every step of the way, reminding
me that the real miracle is that my life has meaning to God and to others.
Several months later, I am driving, doing chores and writing with my right
hand. I am grateful to God, Lovers Lane,
our class and my family. You do not have to have a stroke like I did to
find out that your life has meaning. Come visit Lovers
Lane and you will see what I mean.
