God’s answers to prayers

This is long, but stick with me here. Not only is it cathartic for me, but also important for others to know how God is active in our lives - whether we acknowledge it or not. So humor me and read it. Feel free to comment or not. I have more humorous and lighter things waiting to be blogged and had to get this out here first.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010 – 10:30 AM

My sweet 4-yo, Child C, fell and split her chin open. It was wide open when I got to her and the bleeding had mostly stopped, thanks to the young lady who applied pressure while I was notified. However, at first glance, I knew it was deep enough to seek medical attention. I hugged my daughter and cried for a minute, remembering what she went through last year when the same thing happened. Except then it was both deep and wide – nauseatingly wide. I pulled myself together, made some phone calls to make arrangements for my other children and to tell my hubby what had happened, squeezed the edges together and put a tight bandage on it.

She was so calm and good on the way to the urgent care, asking if she would get a snack and juice like last time. Such sweet innocence. But I was remembering more from last time. I remembered how she was calm and easy going until they irrigated her wound, gave her a shot to numb her chin, held her head still, and sewed her closed with 6 stitches. She screamed. It was awful. I nearly fainted, but the doctor saw it coming and caught me before I passed out. Amazing how they can see it coming like that – I sure didn’t. But my sweet daughter had to endure a terrifying experience. That’s what I was remembering. So I prayed.

I prayed for God to help calm me. Give me peace. But more than that, to comfort her. If it’s possible, if anyone can do it, God can. I asked God to please help her be comfortable – even pain free. Please. I wanted so badly to phone a friend and seek comfort, but I knew God was telling me to run to Him for that comfort. So I told Him that I wanted to talk to a friend and that HE is my friend. He is the one I am calling!

While sitting in the exam room, C and I were singing songs and trying to be distracted. But there was a moment that was quiet and she leaned against me. The tears just streamed from her eyes as she told me with urgency, “Mommy, I want to go home now. Let’s go right now!” Embracing her tightly, I asked her if her chin hurt and she told me no. I asked her if she was scared and she nodded fiercely yes. She then said, “Mommy it hurted last time, It hurted!” Still embracing her, I told her that I know it hurt last time and I prayed for it to be more gentle this time.

While we were singing, “I’m In The Lord’s Army,” the doctor came in, looked closely at her chin and happily announced that he could glue her chin instead of using stitches. With a deep sigh and some restraint to not hug him, I said “Oh that would be so great!”

After it was over, I asked C if it hurt and she told me no. God answered that prayer for her to be comfortable and pain free. Praise God!

Tuesday, February 16, 2010 – 1:00 AM

I went to bed at 11:15 and the next thing I heard was a thud. Throwing the covers off, I asked hubby if he was OK. Not hearing a reply, I got out of bed, not even taking time to get my glasses or turn on a light – both of which would have been helpful. I half expected to see him getting his things together for work the next day. I didn’t even realize what time it was. As I walked out into the hallway, I did notice that there were no lights on so I wasn’t sure where I should be looking or what I was looking for. Then I saw him lying on the bathroom floor, on his right side and rather crumpled. I wasn’t sure what had happened, but I knew it wasn’t right. Standing over him, rubbing his arm and shoulder and shaking him, calling his name, asking if he was OK and could he wake up. Although it seemed like a very long time, it couldn’t have been more than 2 minutes. But I’m sure it was around that. I saw blood on the floor by his mouth and he slowly woke up. Not slowly enough though. As he got up, I told him he had split his lip and to sit down. He said he was OK and I turned around to get something to help clean up him and floor. Then he went down again with the same thud that woke me. Head first, right onto the bathroom floor. Now his body was twitching and I didn’t know if he’s having a seizure or not. I was just terrified. I actually said out loud, “OK, I have to call 911.” My oldest daughter, 9-yo Child A emerged from her room, which is right next to the bathroom, and shakily said, “Yes, mom, call 911.”

Hubby regained consciousness rather quickly that time and was able to get back up. I didn’t know if he had had a stroke or a heart attack or what, but I was worried sick. The paramedics were on their way and he had really banged himself up good on the floor. Over 200 pounds hitting the floor face first is not a good thing.

I prayed in the ambulance and ongoing at the hospital for Patrick to not be badly hurt and to be healed completely from whatever it was. I prayed for wisdom for the doctors and expressed great thanks for my husband. I don’t remember all of how I prayed as a lot of it is still a blur. I was so terrified that he would die or that he had a life changing health condition

The doctors seemed to be very thorough and checked for stroke, heart attack, and head and neck injury from the impact. Everything was fine. He had a drop in blood pressure, which is not uncommon (although it has never before happened to him), and he is fine. He has 11 stitches inside & outside his lip and 4 teeth that were traumatized. Time will tell about his teeth healing and if he severed a nerve in his lip. He is getting pretty sore on his right side and noticing new bruises each day, but he is fine in the areas that really matter!

Thank you, God, for answering those prayers. For going ahead of us to the hospital and getting things prepared for him and for the doctors to have wisdom and know what to check. Thank you for keeping him safe from physical harm and healing him if there was anything going on.

Thank you, too, Lord, that I have limited space in my house and didn’t have the toilet paper crammed in the closet yet. Hubby fell against it and cushioned his fall.


Thursday, February 18, 2010 – 8:00 AM

Hubby woke me this morning to tell me that Merlin was in the process of dying. At 18-1/2, he has had a very full life and has been declining over the past several months from kidney failure and congestive heart failure. A growth in his mouth has prevented him from eating hard food since last summer and the past few days he would only eat canned food from my hand. I knew it was coming and even last night thought he probably wouldn’t make it through the night. So I got up and went to Merlin, who I’ve mothered and friended since he was less than 8 weeks old.

He was stretched out and spasming. I won’t go into details. My middle daughter, 7-yo Child B, woke up and came out to see me petting him. With each twitch, she’d ask a question. I told her that he was already gone; they were just muscle spasms. Hubby asked me if I was sure, to which I replied, “No, I’m not.” I felt for his heartbeat and clearly felt it. He gave out a few little moans and I prayed. I prayed, “God, please take him. Take him where ever you take kitties. You made him and You love him. Please don’t give him more to endure.” And Merlin took his last breath and his heart stopped.


Wow. No need to say more other than THANK YOU, Lord!

RIP Merlin 9/5(?)/1991 - 2/18/2010

Thursday, February 18, 2010 – sometime in the afternoon (1:55, according to my phone log)

I noticed that the dryer had stopped mid-cycle for some reason. Maybe I forgot to start it or maybe one of the kids was looking for clothes. I didn’t really think about it too long, just pushed the button to restart it. Within 5 minutes or so, I smelled something burning – like burning paper, but stronger and it stung my throat. So I went back in and opened the door to stop the dryer. Although I wasn’t sure it was the dryer, that was the only thing running. I came back to my oldest daughter, who thought the paint she just opened smelled like smoke. I smelled the paint and reassured her that wasn’t it. Going back into the utility room to take a closer look at the dryer, I saw smoke up towards the ceiling. Does life ever slow down?

Quickly getting the kids out of the house, grabbing shoes and coats along the way, I grabbed my purse on the way out and called 911. Here we go again.

I was too busy talking to the emergency personnel to pray. But God still answered prayers. It could have been so much worse. The fire was contained in the dryer. There was no damage to the house (unless you count muddy boots from 6+ fire fighters) or our family. Had we been asleep, we could have died – even with working smoke detectors. Had we been out of the house, it could have been burned down. God blessed us by keeping us safe and cluing us in to some things in our home that increase our risk of not escaping a fire should there be another.

Yes, after all of this I am exhausted. But I am also so very thankful for God’s sustaining love and grace to get me through this. I am so thankful that God gave me Jesus so I can I reach God, Himself. I’m so glad that He cares about the little things and the big things in our lives and that He uses these situations to bring me closer to Him. He also gives me opportunities to share this with you. Even when God doesn’t answer prayers the way we think we want him to (uhm, like I'd rather my dryer hadn't caught on fire and that my hubby hadn't passed out), He does answer them. And sometimes we have to look closely for the answers.