Have you ever been asked that question, and wonder to yourself, ‘I really don’t know.’?
I’ve been sitting here for two days staring at this page unsure of how to start and put into words what I want to say. I have alot to share as it’s been a while since I’ve blogged anything. The thing is, where do you start? 2020 was such an unusual year for all of us, and I know I’m not alone in saying that I hope 2021 is better. I must say though that up until a month ago, I had no real complaints. In fact, I felt like I’ve been living my best life ever!
When this pandemic started, my boyfriend and I decided I should come stay with him until everything was over – which we thought would be about two weeks! Well, we all know it’s only getting worse and not sure if there is any real end in sight. For Pat and I though, things have been great. This pandemic brought us closer together. In fact, we decided in June that I should just plan to move in permanently and that’s when I moved most of my things into storage as we began to look for a new home. The housing market was moving in our favor and we figured why not. The only issue was finding our dream house and being able to afford what we wanted. Retirement is our goal, and that led us to Georgia where the cost of living, especially the housing market, is so much more affordable and you get much more for your money. We looked at a dozen homes that were already built before we decided on building our own. We settled on a beautiful rancher in the same neighborhood as my mother. Right around the corner, so its very convenient!
I talked with my boss and was able to get approval so that I could work remote from Georgia. Then Pat started doing his job search and his company was able to do the same thing for him! God has been answering all of our prayers and making our dreams come true. We then contacted movers and started the planning phase. With a settlement date set for the end of 2020, we set our move date for January 15th!
Then came mid-November and my mother and step-father both came down with Covid. That sure was a worry as both are seniors and my mom has a compromised immune system already. It was scary and she found herself in the hospital hooked to an IV getting fluids to hydrate her again. So much was going through my mind and thought of losing her was devasting; especially right now when we have so much to look forward to. Granted it took a good month and it was a fight for them that luckily they both won! Again, God answered our prayers.
Then December 13th at 3:30am, I get a phone call that knocked the wind right out of me! Every parents nightmare!
“It’s about your son. We’re flying him to Shock Trauma and you need to start heading there now.”
I can’t even tell you what was going through my mind at that moment. It was a flood of emotions like I’ve never experienced before. So much uncertainty and disbelief. I didn’t know what to do first; who to call; should I scream or cry…. That’s when Pat grabbed me and started to pray before we did anything. All I knew at that time was that my son had been on a golf cart and fell off and hit the pavement hard. Blood was coming out his ear and he had been briefly unconcious and the EMTs were assessing the situation. No charges were being filed, but I needed to get to Shock Trauma.
“So this is how 2020 is going to end”, I thought. My world was coming to a screeching hault in a matter of seconds. Before we ran out the door, I grabbed my Bible and my latest book, “Break Down Your Walls: Be the Person God Created You to Be….Be a Better YOU!” I knew I needed to read my own words for inspiration. I preach all the time to be positive, don’t dwell on the negative or things you can not control, etc. I also know it is so easy to say, but when you are living in those moments of fear and tests of faith, it’s not always easy to practice what you preach and I was going to need all of the encouragement I could get.
I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to see him once I got to the hospital or not. Luckily, they said because he was critical one person would be allowed back and that person could not leave. Once they left, they could not return. This was all too much to take in, but I wasn’t leaving. I just wasn’t prepared for what I was about to see or what these next few days would be like. It was like driving in a dense fog and struggling to see the tail lights of the car in front of you so you could just blindly follow trusting the fog would clear.
This is a story I want to share with everyone. It’s a story of hope, faith, love, and the miracle of God. It’s about expecting the worst, praying for the best, and receiving God’s Miracle!
