To say that the last few days have been a blur would be an understatement. At the moment, even though I am way behind on a lot of work that I have missed out on doing the last few days, it seems like I just can’t get my mindset in gear to do the things that need to be done. So I thought I would take a few minutes to sit back and reflect on the whirlwind that hit our world some 84 hours ago.
The way everything went down still seems so surreal. Among so many other things, it gave me an ever greater respect for the medical profession. It’s weird to think that if this had happened 100 years ago, my wife and unborn baby would’ve died… but today, some talented nurses and doctors were able to fix the problem and then send me home with a happy and healthy wife and baby. What makes this even more surreal to me is that last night Corissa and I were watching TV and the story line of this show was about a guy who lost his wife and baby to a placental abrasion, which is what Corissa went through. On the TV story, the wife and baby bled out and died… which helps explain why we had the full team of doctors and nurses tending to us in a very urgent way. I know that Corissa and I were both very scared at the time, and now seeing this story, it helps me understand the sense of urgency as well as the seriousness in the room on Saturday night… and why they had four nurses taking care of Peyton with oxygen and other things in a way that I hadn’t seen them do with Allison after the delivery. In a strange way, I almost have a little post traumatic after shock thinking how close I might have been to losing them.
After everything was alright and Corissa was in recovery, the surgeon was telling me that it was fortunate the tear was so small. She told me that if it had been bigger or if we had waited and not gotten to the hospital so quickly, it would’ve been very bad… and now having seen that story on TV, I can see just how bad it could’ve been. I’m not trying to be morbid about it, but knowing how serious that condition really was, makes me feel even more fortunate and thankful that things worked out.
And I am also so thankful for God’s hand on us as well as your prayers. What could’ve been an incredibly sad night was instead a joyous one that saw the successful birth of our second baby girl. Many of you have probably heard George Strait’s song I Saw God Today, which I wrote about in a previous entry… but it seems to resonate even more in my reflection on Saturday night. In it, he talks about how blessed we are and how if we just slow down and look around, we can see God all around us and all of His blessings and gifts. And by way of remembering His gifts in my life, I just wanted to take a minute to list just a few of the countless times I’ve seen God in undeniable ways over the last few years:
- April 26, 2008 when He saved my wife and daughter.
- November 21, 2005 when He gave me my first baby girl – which was not a sure thing given my cancer. To many people, she was a miracle baby… my nurses often remind me of how lucky we were to be able to have her… and now Peyton too.
- September 15, 2004 when He effectively cured me from cancer through Dr. McCelland’s hands in surgery.
And those are just some of the big, obvious, milestone type events. But in many smaller ways, I can see God any day that I am willing to step back from the craziness of life and look around a bit… I can see Him in:
- My baby girl’s smile
- My wife’s heart
- Kindness from a stranger
- An open parking spot
- Health of my family and friends
- The love of my family and friends
- A sunrise, sunset or rain storm
Throughout my entire life, He has been all around in so many ways, and not just in the good news times. As I wrote a few years ago, God is good even on the days that we don’t feel it. And when I step back and take the time to look around, there is no question that I am lucky man by any standard.
And if you are reading this today, I encourage you to stop for a moment, push back from your desk, take deep breath, take a slow look around at the landscape of your life and I’ll bet that you’ll see God today too.
