My sister

Thank you all who have prayed for Gerry, my sister. On Thursday of last week we spoke of very serious, dire consequences that could follow her condition as she lay so still in her hospital bed. I came home from the hospital in a cloud of sorrow. It seemed her life was ebbing.

My niece and nephew tenderly bent over her bed to soothe her tired body, pat her arm, talk sweetly in her ear, tell her what a fighter she was, how brave she was, and how much they loved her. My nephew, Mark, called her "mama" and gently loved her through his kisses to her forehead, his stroking of her hair, his tears at the multiple tubes going into her body and contemplating where her status may lead. His TLC tore my heart out of my chest. I am positive bits and pieces of his life flashed before him from his childhood on up, and special memories filled his mind of growing up with a mom like Gerry. Perhaps he was wondering if they would have another shot at memory making as she lay there unable to do anything for herself.

Terri who has been at her side for the past two months has been a rock to the whole family. Thursday night she asked me, "What do you do without a mom? I call my mom everyday, sometimes more than once a day." We both teared up and hugged each other. I was so touched by their tenderness and profound love for my sweet sister.

I told Gerry as Terri, Mark, and I stood over her bed peering into her face, "Please come back to us. You can't go now. We all love you and need you. You deserve some pain-free years. . . " with tears streaming down our faces. Somberly, we left the room and eventually all went our separate ways with heavy hearts.

Friday was a turning point, and tonight I am so happy to report to you that she no longer has a breathing tube! She recognized faces again today, waved,and mouthed "I love you." The Lord has resurrected her from the dead. I asked one of her nurses on Friday what the difference was between a cardiac arrest and a heart attack. Of course, with a cardiac arrest, the heart just stops, so Gerry did die. They shocked her back to life with the paddles. Thank you so much for praying. She still has some woods to truck through, but wow! what a contrast to the first four dark days of post cardiac arrest, lower right lobe lung blood clot, collapsed left lobe of her lung, infection, low-grade fever, and intubation for this, that, and the other thing.

Please don't stop praying, and thank you for asking about her and interceding for her. I am so grateful, and so is her family.

Lord, we do not take anything for granted, especially life. We can't take a breath without your permission. You are the giver, sustainer, and taker of life. We owe you big time. Just a breath from your mouth or a look in our direction can breathe and regenerate new life into us. You are awesome. Someday EVERY knee will bow to you, of things in heaven, in earth, and under the earth. We choose to do some of that bowing now so that, when we join your angels who fall before your throne 24 hours a day in Glory to worship you right now, bowing our knee will not be a foreign exercise of worship. Thank you Lord. Thank you.