So where did you go, Carolyn? Two whole posts in December and January for your blog? Carolyn, you got some ‘splainin’ to do…
Shortly after I posted those two blog posts, my car broke down, and then my computer went ka-put! I decided maybe some prayer needed to go into my continuing this blog.
And then…at the end of January, my husband, John developed pneumonia and wound up in the hospital for almost a week. As you may or may not know…he is a kidney transplant recipient, so any sickness that comes up has to be dealt with immediately. John came home from the hospital and was recovering pretty well and then…
“And while he was yet speaking, another came…” (Job 1:17) This scripture from Job has become kind of a joke between my daughter Jenny and me, a way of saying, “Really? I can’t believe all this is happening!”
On February 8th, John fell in the bathroom and broke his hip. I called the ambulance and before I knew it, we were back at the hospital. After three long days, John had surgery to repair his hip. We also found out after he was readmitted, that a sputum culture from the previous visit had come back positive for a respiratory disease we’d never heard of, that was in the TB family but not TB. This was why it took three days to have the surgery; they had to make certain it wasn’t TB because that would require different precautions for staff involved in the surgery and things like that. He was in tremendous pain those three days, and I was doing my best to advocate for him during that time. He was in the hospital several more days. The PT folks recommended he go to a nursing home for rehab, but then there were problems with insurance. (Very long story I won’t go into.) John’s sister, Paulette, came to stay with us for a couple of weeks, which was a huge blessing, because it allowed me to continue working during the day. The PT folks came to the house to work with John, and between them and Home Health, he started the rocky road to recovery. The first few weeks were very painful, and it was a rough time.
“And while he was yet speaking, another came…” (Job 1:17)
Then John developed another high fever a couple of days after coming home from the hip surgery. After a long night of watching him and calling Home Health for advice, I called an ambulance again (since there was no way he could walk to the car) and took him back to the hospital for the third admission in less than a month. Pneumonia again! They got that under control fairly quickly, and he came home a few days later. This was now towards the end of February.
“And while he was yet speaking, another came…” (Job 1:17)
And then March 9th rolled around…the company I’d worked for 23 years was experiencing budget shortfalls and had announced to staff there would be a reduction in workforce. I had no idea this might affect me, but on that fateful day, shortly after I left to get lunch, I was approached by a nurse manager in our division and asked to go with her to HR. Once there, I listened in disbelief as I learned I was being let go. Seriously? I sat there in tears wondering what in the world was going on…and yet knowing, somehow God had a plan. I was allowed to go back to my desk and collect my sweater and work bag. I grabbed a few pictures and walked out the door and ended a huge chapter in my life. (I was able to return and pick up my personal belongings a couple of days later.)
At this point, I felt like my life had imploded since 2020 had arrived. I had stepped back from my responsibilities at church after John broke his hip and wasn’t even able to make it to church for a few weeks. And now this…
Little did I know COVID and the shutdown were right around the corner.
John has been sick a lot of the last 15 years of our married life, and we have weathered many storms during that time. I will tell you later about the many times God pulled him out of a very dark-looking place. But suffice it to say, I have learned in that time to weather the storms. By God’s grace, I have learned how to operate in the midst of a crisis (with lots of prayer and prayer support.) I’ve learned when a crisis is going on is not the time to get emotional and fall apart. That may come later, which is okay, but in the moment, God has helped me to just keep forging forward in the midst of the storm. God is My Rock and My Strength, and I am not afraid to ask for prayer. I know God has a plan, and with His help and strength…somehow…. SOMEHOW, I will make it through the storm to the other side, no matter how bad it looks!
So that catches us up to March. I was given a generous severance package from my former employer, and God has taken good care of us since that time. More on that later…
I have been feeling the pull to get back to this blog. I’ve been writing devotionals for our church prayer conference calls, so I’m going to start posting them and at some point, we’ll get back to the miracle stories or maybe I will just sprinkle them in between somehow. I hope you will read my blog posts and let me know what you think.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.
The Lord will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.
(Psalm 138:7,8)
Carolina Miracles 