Saturday, March 18, 2017
Micah 7:14-15, 18-20; Ps. 103:1-4, 9-12; Lk. 15:11-32
Early one morning in 1984 Jay (my son) woke up and was very hot so his wife Risa brought him a cold cloth; he was soon unconscious. She called 911, and Jay was taken to the hospital. Miracle #1: Risa was still at home because she goes to work very early in the morning. Miracle #2: Jay had a seizure in the ambulance, but the paramedics were there. Miracle #3: The #1 neurologist in Tampa was on call that morning. Dr. Rydel explained to us there was blood in his cranial cavities. An operation was necessary to drain the blood and to insert drainage tubes. Jay had an AVM, which in simple terms is tangled blood vessels in the brain. They had burst.
As we waited for the end of surgery, we prayed. Our pastor, Randy Ashcraft, came to be with us, and we prayed together. It was a long day and an even longer night because Dr. Rydel didn’t expect Jay to live through the night. Miracle #4: He survived! Jay remained in ICU for three weeks. He was on prayer lists throughout the south, including Bayshore Baptist Church and our Roadrunner’s Sunday School Class. They ministered to us with food, companionship and prayer.
The recovery lasted for six months. Jay always had to have someone with him because of seizures. During this time he was unable to work. Miracle #5: Jay’s boss, Frankie, paid his salary the whole time! Jay was the chef in Frankie’s restaurant.
This experience changed all of our lives. We are so grateful to God, and if you know Jay, you have probably heard him say, “It’s another great day to be alive!” He says it often.
–Jane Lang