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UH: This is based on a true experience, though the names have been changed.
~*~*God’s Love*~*~
Melissa Crawford was your ordinary teenager. She was not really popular, had a small circle of close friends, a loving family, and a loving God. To her, life was perfect. Nothing could spoil her little world. Or could it? The date was December 23, 2002, about six-thirty a.m. Melissa’s father, John, started having chest pains, but went to the gym anyway. When he came home, he complained to his wife, and they decided to take him to the E.R. Melissa’s mother, Lynn woke her daughter to tell her they were taking her dad to the E.R., and then Lynn and John left. Melissa woke up, ate some breakfast, and got on the computer. About ten o’clock, Lynn called home.
“Get a shower and get dressed. Rachel’s picking you up and bringing you to the hospital.” Lynn said.
“Okay.” Melissa replied. “Bye.”
“Bye.”
Melissa hung up the phone, and went to get ready.
When Rachel and Melissa arrived at the hospital, Melissa’s Aunt Jennifer greeted them, and led them to Melissa’s mom. Lynn looked like she’d been crying, her eyes all red and puffy, and she was still dabbing at her eyes. She looked at Melissa.
“Your dad had a heart attack.” She said solemnly. “He’s back in ICU. Tell me when you’re ready to go see him.”
“Let’s go.” Melissa said, and her mom took her back to John’s room. What she saw hit her like a ton of bricks, and brought tears to her eyes. Her father was alive, thank God, but looked tired and weak. The man she thought couldn’t get sick, couldn’t get hurt; was sick and hurt. She kept her chin up and a smile on her face, because she wanted to be strong for her family. She could hardly say anything because her voice was choked with emotion, sadness, grief, relief, and happiness. Her dad patted her hand.
“Everything’s going to be all right.” He said.
“I know.” Melissa said, and felt a tear slip down her cheek. When her mother and her were about to go, Melissa’s grandfather, her dad’s dad, came in. She hugged him, and slipped out without a word.
Her mom and her sat down in the waiting room again, and Melissa saw that her Aunt Debbie, Aunt Janie and her mom’s dad were there as well. Her cousin Rachel gave her a small toy as a token of comfort, and, despite the sadness, her Aunt Jennifer managed to bring happiness into the room.
“The heart attack occurred this morning. He was gone, Melissa. His spirit was gone.” Lynn said.
“I should have been there.” Melissa said supportively. Lynn shook her head.
“No, it’s better that you weren’t there. The doctor’s were able to bring him back, though.”
The rest of the day was pretty boring until her Aunt Jennifer and Aunt Janie had to go out for some stuff for Melissa’s dad.
“Mom, I still have to get Dad’s present. Could I go get him something and give it to him early?” Melissa asked.
“Like what?” replied Lynn.
“I was thinking a book or something.”
“Okay.”
So they stopped by a bookstore, Waldenbooks, and got some books and a book mark with Psalm 23 on it:
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,
He restores my soul.
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death,
I will fear no evil,
For you are with me;
Your rod and your staff,
They comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
In the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me
All the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.”
Melissa’s dad loved the gifts.
He was transferred to Audubon Hospital the next day, for a heart catheter.
“Expect open-heart surgery.” Lynn’s friend, Jenny, said. Jenny works at Jewish Hospital, so she knows a lot about it. Miraculously, John didn’t have open-heart surgery. In fact, there were no traces at all of the heart attack! They did do a balloon angioplasty, and put a stint in, to hopefully prevent future blockages from building up. John told Lynn his story about being in a tunnel.
“But a voice told me to go back. When I didn’t, it said it again.” John said. Tears filled Lynn’s eyes as he told the story.
‘God wasn’t finished with you yet.’ Melissa thought. ‘So he sent you back.’
On the way home, Melissa and her mom were talking about it.
“The doctors brought him back.” Lynn said.
“No, God brought him back. The doctors were just His tools.” Melissa corrected.
Everything pretty much went smoothly after that, and her dad came home after spending the week in the hospital (December 23 – 27). They then celebrated their Christmas on Saturday.
~*Melissa’s POV*~
If you saw him today, you wouldn’t be able to tell that my dad ever had a heart attack. He’s back at work, and the same as ever. Except for one thing. He now knows what God’s love feels like, and that it is true: God IS love. He’s very lucky that God gave him a second chance. I never realized how much my dad meant to me until he was almost taken away forever. I still thank God for my father’s life, and treasure the fact God loves us enough to send him back.
~*End POV*~
~A/N: This is my story. This really did happen. My dad is fine now, and we thank God for that. God really helped me get through this time.~
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