A Personal Note

Today I'm writing to you from a hospital room. It's a little before 7 a.m. and I've spent the night here to be near my husband, Tom. He was in a motorcycle accident yesterday morning on his way to work.

Gallant man that he is, he rode his bike because my vehicle was in the shop for repairs, and I drove his car to my job at a school library. I even drove past his accident scene, wondering why in the world the ambulance had to park smack dab in the middle of the intersection. Never once did I suspect it was so they could lift him off the pavement.

His injuries aren't as bad as many motorcycle accidents, thank the Lord. I know that several of you reading this were widowed that way and my heart goes out to you. But Tom called me from the site, told me to meet him at the E.R. Then he called a co-worker and told him he couldn't come to work! The man is strong as an ox!

But he will be here several days, and recuperation will take weeks. I don't think either of us can really wrap our head around what that will be like. I can't imagine him down for more than a week, so this will be a new experience for us. He's never been hospitalized! I haven't either, except for healthy baby deliveries. In fact, hooked up to IV's and monitors yesterday he commented about getting a better understanding of what his first wife, Marilyn, must have gone through with her many procedures before she passed away from ovarian cancer.

Well, I'm getting wordy. I only intended to ask for prayer and to explain that I won't be blogging very regularly, and I don't know when I'll get to Facebook requests. My life is on hold at the moment and Tom's the priority. He has broken ribs and a broken shoulder blade plus a small lung perforation. Today he might be moved out of the trauma unit to a regular room if his oxygen levels are acceptable. Then there will be a few more days here at the hospital for pain management. I have no idea what he'll need once he gets home. But the Lord knows and He will help us through. Yesterday He gave me hope through this verse in Proverbs 24:16a--For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again... I know that in this fallen world there will come a day when we don't rise again, but I have a peace in my heart that this is simply one of the seven stumbles. We'll get back up this time. And that's a good reason to pray because I'm sure it won't be without a struggle and with what my neighbor Nancy refers to as "gettin' ugly." lol

It's been a wonderful encouragement already to know our church was praying for us last night, to have co-workers at each of our jobs tell us, "We've got you covered, you do what you need to do and don't worry about us," and to hear from far away family scrambling like fighter jets to fly to our aid. We are loved, and we feel it.

You are loved too. May your eyes (and mine) be opened more and more to the heights and depths of God's love and the love of the people He surrounds you with. Bask in it today. I'll keep praying for you, and you please pray for Tom and me.

love to you,
ferree