seventeen years

Seventeen years ago early this morning Donald rushed me to the hospital. I was pregnant with Daniel. I remember it as though it were yesterday. I had placenta previa and an emergency c-section. I wasn't sure what was happening at the time, but I knew it was bad. Donald was rushing me into the car, but I did take time to go look at our children. I really thought it might be the last time I saw them. I am not trying to be dramatic here either. I remember I started shaking in the car on the way to the ER. Then all at once I had such peace. I wasn't scared anymore, it was as though I was just along for the ride.

Daniel was born way too early. They care flighted him to Baylor in Dallas. The doctors didn't give us much hope that he would live. Maybe I was still in shock, but I had total peace. It was really like water splashing off a duck's back. I know it was God's Presence. He had prepared Daniel for this day. He weighed a pound more than he should have at that time. He lost it later of course, but it was a very important pound. Never in my life have ounces meant so much.

I had a friend who was outside when the helicopter flew over; she prayed for whoever was in it. She had no idea at the time it was our Daniel.

He was in Baylor neonatal for a week and then in the hospital here for another month. After he came home it was round the clock care for him. I had to feed him every three hours and it took almost an hour to get him to eat. Then I would lay back down and sleep for maybe two hours and start over again.

Long after I would find myself in the kitchen in the middle of the night frantically looking for his medicine. I couldn't find it and couldn't remember what I was supposed to give him. It was a trying time. I was exhausted and still taking care of the other kids, homeschooling, cleaning, and cooking as usual. If I had had any sense I would have put homeschooling on the back burner for a while; but not me, not at that time of my life. School must go on!

He was on an apnea monitor and one day it started beeping. It would beep if he stopped breathing. I took him to our pediatrician. Dr. Clark took one look at him and carried him to the ER himself. That was a hard time for me. The first time around I had perfect peace. This time I struggled.

Today is Daniel's seventeenth birthday. I think his name is appropriate. Like God delivered Daniel in the Bible from the mouth of the hungry lions, He delivered our Daniel from death also.

He is a fine, healthy young man and one of the joys of my life. God is faithful.