A Time to Heal...To Every Thing a Season chpt. 3

The closing of our house had been delayed about 3 times. We were beginning to wonder if it would ever happen. It was August, and we were growing antsy. We told our realtor to continue showing our house while the buyer was getting his financing straightened out. We wanted to be patient, but we also wanted to keep our options open. Finally, at the end of August, we closed on the house. It was a joyous occasion! We decided that we would celebrate by taking our children bowling. A large group from our church ended up going along. We had a great time of fun and fellowship.

August brought a lot of ups and downs for us. The closing of the house, the trouble at church...it was very difficult. My husband was under an untold amount of pressure with the issues of the families that left. We had so many unanswered questions, and no one but God who could answer them. Sometimes He answered. Sometimes He was silent. It was an emotional time for our children as well. After all, their friends left when the parents left. In a small church like ours, it feels like a divorce when people leave. You remember all the good times and wonder why it had to change. I still don't have all the answers, but I do have the peace I need.

One day, I called Sandra to see how her recent ortho appointment went. She was exuberant! The tissue in her finger was growing back. The finger that was once black and dead was now pink and alive. Her surgeon was amazed. In fact he told Sandra, "I don't care where I am or what I am doing, if you ever see me, I want you to show me your finger again. All of my medical textbooks say that your finger should have been amputated. I just can't believe what I'm looking at today!"

Sandra had experienced a miracle! And it gave her so much hope. She had been able to return to work for a little while, but her back was still a huge problem. Pain medication was necessary, and she found it difficult to do without it. Still, she felt as if the spine specialist would be able to help her.

If she could just get her back problem resolved, Jackie would be free to go to Duke. He wouldn't leave her at home in the condition she was in. Sandra was constantly pressing Jackie to set up the initial visit at Duke, but he kept putting it off. She thought he was just trying to let the whole thing go, give up, in a way. But really, his procrastination kept him by Sandra's side when she needed him the most.