Prayer
I authorized the construction of a Prayer Room to be built in my backyard November of 2012. At the same time I began developing a discipline of daily tuning in to God, listening intently for His voice while offering thanksgiving, prayer and praise and meditating on scripture. I have done a daily devotional since my teens, but the difference over 50 years later is now my time in the prayer room is MY DAILY PRIORTY. The Prayer Room was completed March 21, 2013 and on that same day I became aware that I had lost the crippling fear of failure I had struggled with all my life prior to that date.
Two years later another miracle covered with the “fingerprints of God” has happened that I want to share. My grandson, (age 3), fell face first from the back of the family truck parked in the driveway and struck his head on the concrete surface in the early evening March 20, 2015. I received a text from my son-in-law at 9:26 pm that they were in the emergency room of the Brunswick hospital. I joined them there shortly after receiving the text. I learned on arrival that my grandson had experienced blindness and delayed muscular response following the accident and had been brought by ambulance to the hospital. I was told he screamed the entire ride because he had been placed in a papoose like sack that cocooned his body to restrict any movement. The confinement had terrified him. He apparently had been vomiting earlier in the hospital which I was told is often present following a concussion. He was sleeping peacefully as I entered his room. His mama was gently stroking his back. I noted the scuffed red skin on his forehead, but was surprised that there was no bruising or swelling. I commented the bleeding must be internal which was evidenced by the increasing bruising around his left eye as we waited to hear the results of the scans taken of his head. My daughter and son-in-law had informed family and friends through Facebook and text to be praying for their son. I did the same after receiving an update from them as we waited for the test results together. I felt peace and the presence of God in the small room. Around midnight, the doctor came in and informed us that my grandson had two skull fractures above his left eye. The good news was that the bones were aligned and there was nothing further they could do in Brunswick. The doctor recommended that we move my grandson to the Children’s Trauma Center in Savannah, GA at Memorial Hospital on Waters. His parents agreed with the recommendation. The transfer was made again by ambulance. My daughter rode in the back of the ambulance with her son. My son-in-law went home to relieve the friend who was keeping the sisters. I went home to pack my bag and headed for Savannah about 1:00 am. I was so grateful my husband was willing to take me. I was emotionally drained by personal circumstances during the past week even before the accident and I was not capable of making the drive myself. We arrived at the emergency room in Savannah at 2:30 am and had to wind our way through a mass of barriers to find the entrance to the emergency waiting room. My grandson’s name was not on the emergency room roster. Puzzled I waited as the receptionist called around in search of where he might be. I thanked God under my breath standing on Romans 8:28 which states: that all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to His purposes. My grandson was finally located about 15 minutes later coming off an elevator into the Children’s portion of the hospital where he would be admitted shortly. We entered his room about 3:00 am. There were no hotel rooms available the weekend after St. Patrick’s Day so my husband tried to sleep on the couch in the room, I struggled with the recliner and my daughter climbed in the hospital bed with her son. It was a tight fit. My grandson was moving all around in the bed through the remainder of the wee hours, often dozing propped up on his mom. I don’t think she slept at all.
My husband located an available hotel room nearby after breakfast and moved there for the day. The doctor came in and said he wanted to keep my grandson through the day for observation. He would order a liquid diet to begin immediately and gradually introduce solid food throughout the day. If there was no vomiting as a result, then the patient would be released. My grandson had a stomach ache after consuming a popsicle and jello for breakfast so he was served the same thing at lunch time. He was asleep when it arrived so the popsicle melted and I found an ice cream substitution from the family room. My grandson slowly began to act like his normal self as the day progressed and remained happy and peaceful in the hospital bed when “an angel” employed by the hospital brought him some toys and mom located a “Thomas, the Train” video on TV. I sat by the bed and interacted with my grandson while he was awake and dozed while he was napping so my daughter could get some sleep on the couch. His daddy arrived late afternoon with reinforcements in the form of lunch, train toys, ipad with games and a phone charger. The nurse entered and informed us that if my grandson could eat a supper of solid food without getting sick, he could go home that night. His daddy grabbed a menu and shared the options with his son. A ham and cheese sandwich, French fries and chocolate ice cream were ordered. My grandson polished off the ham sandwich, a handful of French fries (Gram-me ate the rest) and the chocolate ice cream. We were released from the hospital within the hour. Daddy drove the family home and my husband and I went to bed immediately in the hotel room he secured that morning.
I marvel now as I reflect on the evidence of grace that prevailed over a potentially dangerous situation that had unfolded over the course of the last twenty-four hours. I had loaned the Fraser Center Labyrinth to be used for an event at Honeycreek. I was able to pick up the labyrinth myself to insure it was properly conditioned and stored for the next use. I attended the closing worship of the event. The priest spoke of maintaining a daily discipline of prayer and scripture meditation that would prepare us to weather the unpredictable storms of life. I was grateful that I was well prepared for the recent storm in the life of my family, well supported by the prayers of family and friends and as a result I was able to peacefully ride the waves of the storm trusting that the situation was safe in the hands of God.
Corrie ten Boon writes: Prayer is such an important power. In the concentration camp, seven hundred of us lived in a room built for two hundred people. We were dirty, nervous and tense. One day a horrible fight broke out amongst the prisoners. Betsie began to pray aloud. It was as if a storm laid down, until at last all was quiet. Then Betsie said, “Thank you, Father.”A tired old woman was used by the Lord to save the situation for seven hundred fellow prisoners through her prayers.
I Timothy 2:1
I urge, then, first of all, the requests, prayers,
intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone
Corrie ten Boon again writes:
There may be days of darkness and distress,
When sin has the power to tempt, and care to press.
Yet in the darkest day I will not fear,
For ‘midst the shadows, You will still be near.
Thank you, Lord Jesus!