Why is all this bad happening to us at Christmas?
The $30.00 BlessingThe story begins the Friday before Christmas. My son-in-law, daughter, grandson and myself went to Aberdeen to do some last minute Christmas shopping. None of us had much money, but Robin had lay away to pick up and James, my grandson, had to do his Christmas shopping yet. Tim and I were broke, but along for the ride. We just wanted to spend some family time together, since we don't see each other much.
We'd been to one store and was pulling out of the lay away store's parking lot when we saw a man along side the road holding a sign.
"Traveling had trouble
need help to get home
gas and food."
He was dressed in clean clothes and by his appearance was just like us or any other shopper at the stores where we had just been. He didn't look down and out or like a bum.
James was fidgeting with his shopping money and said, "Here gramma, give this to that bum."
We were in the far left lane at the time, so I held my arm out the window and yelled, "Can you run over here fast?" He flashed a beautiful smile and ran, taking the money, and said, "May God Bless you, thank you."
After turning left we resumed talking about where we still had to go and where did James want to go. He frantically began searching all his pockets and seat. "I can't find my $30.00!" he says "All I have $2.00."
"I had the money separated to give that bum the 2.00. I must have given him my money by mistake."
After much grousing and complaining we decided to head back home that there was no reason to look any further when non of us had money to shop. James made the remark, "I probably just gave a drug addict his drug money."
Robin commented, "No, he didn't look like a druggy, you probably just helped a man get his family home for Christmas. God probably used you to help them have a good Christmas. You should feel happy for them."
James wasn't placated. I added my slant with, "How do you know he wasn't an angel? Or God? Maybe you just paid for something wonderful that's going to happen in your life. Yep, something wonderful is going to happen, you'll see."
The very next day Tim, James and Chris, James' friend, were going to clean the chimney to prevent a house fire from the creosote buildup in the chimney. James was on the roof and slipped, " Don't come up here Dad, It's too slippery."
Tim stepped off the ladder onto the roof and within 2 steps, fell grabbing the gutter pipe to try to break his backward momentum. The cover on the gutter came off, his hand slid sideways down the broken gutter which slashed his hand open to the bone diagonally. Reflexively he let go and grabbed again trying to save himself.
"Mom, can you come get me?" Tim just left in the ambulance......
"Tell me about it when I get there, I'm on my way." and I hung up.
That was at 11:00 Saturday morning.
We waited at the emergency waiting room until 4:00 when Tim was life flighted to the medical center in Seattle. All that time they were trying to see how badly he had been hurt, but he was bleeding out and they couldn't do anything but give him blood to keep him from dying. He had severed the main nerve running down the center finger which controls all hand movement, and the 2 main arteries in his hand. He could die if they couldn't get the bleeding stopped.
After he was air lifted to Seattle, we got changed for the long drive to follow him to Seattle. He would get there in an hour; we were facing a 3-4 hour drive on a normal weekend. This was the last Christmas shopping weekend of the year.
I said to James before we pulled away from a very worried son who wanted to come along, and was feeling like the accident was his fault, "It sure couldn't hurt non if you'd pray; and as an after thought "for all of us."
Robin and I left. I had never been to Seattle in my life, never drove anywhere near there. She had no idea where to guide me, but had been to Seattle a couple times as a passenger.
I felt totally calm; in my mind I knew Tim would be out of surgery by the time we arrived at the hospital. He would be released and we could drive him home, without any incidents of alarm to any of us.
Robin was uncertain, but thought it would be okay; at least she was hoping like crazy.
Strange incident of note: My car registered ½ tank of gas when we went to my apartment so I could get ready before getting gas money and driving the boys home. Chris, James' friend, saw it and made the comment when we noticed the gas gage read full. "Wow! See, God's helping us already I said, your angel must be with us for your Dad, James."
Traffic was heavy but moving nicely.
We arrived at the medical center at 9:20 pm and Tim had just come out of surgery and was doing well.
The surgeon told Robin they attached the arteries together again and the nerve was repaired. He is to do nothing with that hand or he could loose all use of it.
Sad thing is he had just recuperated partially from a bad near fatal trucking accident which laid him up for a year without working. Robin has been supporting the family without help. L&I (worker's compensation) ran out and he couldn't work, but he kept trying to do something.
He's been made disabled and receives no compensation to help his family. He's feeling useless and worthless; now this happens.
They were all asking why this? What had they done to disserve this?
What were they suppose to learn from being constantly abused in one way or another? They were questioning God; hurt and angry.
Robin is wearing out from all the extra load too. She's working 80 hour weeks to try to compensate and those hours are taking their toll on her.
All I can reply to all of these questions is...
"If we learn nothing else from this, let it be that we should treasure each loved one while we have the chance to tell them we love them; because, this just shows how quickly we can loose someone we love. One minute everything is fine and the next they could be gone, so tell the ones you love that you love them; it may be the last chance you get."
I think James got his $30.00 worth.
posted by Jan myrz @ 11:20 AM
1 Comments:
How precious!
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