And then cried in the parking lot.
Sounds weird, doesn’t it? Who in their right mind cries because they bought milk? I mean they always say “don’t cry over spilled milk”, but crying over buying it may be okay….
My husband usually buys the milk. At least twice a week, I send him “stop and pick up milk” text before he leaves work. And, like the awesome hubby he is, he stops, picks up milk, and is the hero because the middle schooler might die without milk in the morning. On the weekends, we sneak out together and “get milk”. It’s actually code for let’s-go-get-Dairy-Queen-without-the-kids, but don’t tell that!
But, not yesterday. You see, my hubby has been in the hospital since last Tuesday with Covid-related bilateral pneumonia. His lips were blue if that’s any indicator as to how little oxygen he was actually getting. Talk about absolutely nerve-wracking having to leave someone you love in the emergency room. Alone.
I had to tell my children that their dad was being hospitalized. Not a fun evening. Day by day, I shuffled the kids off to school and headed to the hospital. I was given no answers. For days, I watched my strong husband struggle to breathe and wither away. His nurses barely entered his room thanks to his Covid positive status. His trash remained full, food trays only changed when new food came, waiting hours for water and breathing treatments. It wasn’t a good experience.
I did the only thing I could think of, I prayed. And then I let the world know. My husband has touched many lives with family and friends scattered far and wide. I took to Facebook, told the world, and asked for the only thing I truly needed. Prayer.
My family is firm in our faith. We believe in God the Father. We believe in Jesus as our Savior. We have faith that He loves us and he hears us. In this insanely difficult time, we turned to God. And we asked others to tap into their faith and join us.
I don’t expect everyone to understand our faith. It’s bigger than any of us and until it’s personal, it’s not something easily understood. I simply always ask for respect of our faith. Unfortunately, I think the world has strayed from respect for others. But that’s an entirely different conversation…..
Now, a day later, I sit jubilant and optimistic. With any luck, the hubby will be home with a plan to make him whole and strong again by weeks end. If that isn’t a PRAISE GOD moment, I don’t know what is!! In what seemed like a blink, his numbers have improved, he’s on regular oxygen (not high flow forced oxygen), he’s actually sleeping and eating again, and he’s joking and laughing. I see my husband coming back to me from a very scary road.
We don’t deny science. We understand fully about medicines and their healing properties. We like to research and be informed. We ask questions and appreciate candid answers, of which we’ve gotten quite a few lately. We look into alternative methods for healthy living. We integrate them all into our lives. Right alongside our faith in prayer and miracles. Science and God aren’t exclusive although many insist they are. In this past week, I have seen science and faith not only keep my husband alive, but bring him back to us.
It has been a wild ride these last seven days. We have a journey ahead of us. Luckily, we also have science and faith on our side to see us through. And, the next time I have to buy milk, there’s a good chance I won’t cry after I do it.
