This weekend has been completely crazy. Last week I had something every night and when it came to the weekend I thought I would have time to slow down and just relax. God had other plans for me! Over the last couple of months I have been visiting a friend of mine named Cat who recently found out that she had lung cancer and would only live 3 months. She is only in her 30's and has a 2 year old son. I have tired to make it to the hospital at least once a week to talk to her and get to know her better. She has the greatest laugh and is a fighter. Friday night I got a call that she went into cardiac arrest and the family was asking for me. I arrived and of course the family was upset and surprised at the turn of events their daughter had taken. She was on life support and in a coma and the doctors were coming to speak with the family. A few minutes later the doctors informed us that there was nothing they could do and the best way to treat her was to take her off life support. The family talked about it and discussed it and asked many questions. The doctors told the family, "When you take her off life support she probably won't wake up." The family decided that Saturday they would take her off life support. I asked the family if they would like for me to be there, but they thought that I had done enough so they declined.
Saturday afternoon I get a text that says, "Get to the hospital!" I raced over there and of course many of the family members are in the ICU room waiting. I began to speak with Cat's stepmother and she tells me that after they pulled the life support Cat woke up. She asked me if I wanted to see her and talk with her. We walked in the room and to my surprise there lay Cat eye's open, smile on her face and hand reaching to hold mine. She couldn't speak but she could communicate.
I left the hospital that day blown away by the power of God, of prayer and just amazed by life itself. I have to tell you that when I see someone going through that I think how short life is. I think of her seeing Jesus in days. Death is such a mystery to me. To be honest, it scares me a little and yet in someways I have peace about it. Her dad and I were reading a handbook that the hospital gave them about someone in her condition. It said things like this...
The patient may sleep a lot. The patient may talk to people that have been dead for a long time. The patient may have moments of pure joy and moments of sadness. The patient may talk about seeing the unknown and how great that place seems. Her father looked at me and said, "They call it the unknown, we know exactly what that place is don't we?" I replied, "YES WE DO!"
When we arrive at eternity shores,
Where death is just a memory, tears are no more,
We'll enter in as the wedding bells ring,
Your bride will come together and we'll sing,
You're Beautiful...
amazing........
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