In an Instant

We all make plans...

We plan where we want to go to college. We plan where we want to live, want we want to be 'when we grow up'. We give thought to who we might marry and how many kids we want to have. We go about living our life. Never giving much thought that it could change in an instant.

We bicker with our spouse, we stress about that school assignment, we stress about the needed home repairs, we don't want to go in to work in the morning. We don't tell our children that we love them, we go to bed without thinking about our friends and other family members. Never giving much thought to the fact that if could all change in an instant.

In an instant

~ a car crashes

~ the job you loved gets downsized and you find yourself homeless

~ you are handed a paper that says, "highly suspicious of lymphoid malignancy"

~ the ultrasound that you thought you were having to find out your baby's sex instead reveals a lethal diagnosis

~ the man you thought you'd be married to forever says he no longer loves you

~ your child walks away from everything good you tried to instill in them

Life can change, oh so quickly...

A friend of mine from work had one of those 'in an instant' events this weekend.

It has caused us, her friends and co-workers to take a step back and hug each other and our families just a little bit tighter. To take a moment to think about the 'what if's'...

Theresa did it all right ~ went to college, found the perfect job, met the man of her dreams, got married and a few years down the line had a beautiful baby. In fact this baby is just a few months old today. She is still out on her maternity leave. Her husband just recently back to work.

We heard the overhead 'stat' calls for physicians, the 'code blue' call.

So imagine our surprise when we got the frantic call to "Please pray - they are coding my husband!!"

Theresa and Kevin have been married almost 4 years. Life was good. She was home enjoying her new role as mommy to baby Zoe.Kevin had a minor cold on Friday. He went to urgent care. They agreed he was ill, but his lungs were clear and he was sent home. The cough wouldn't go away - not only would it not go away but it got worse.

Theresa called a brother to take Kevin to the hospital while she stayed home with the baby. She didn't want to expose her to germs in the ER. I can only imagine her shock when instead of a call to come pick up her husband she got a call that said, "Your husband is intubated and in the MICU".

She got to the hospital only to see her beloved husband deteriorate to the point of needing a full resuscitation yesterday morning. How scary that must have been. Theresa used to work with cardiac patients, she would know full well what was happening. To know that oxygen saturations of 30% cause organ and brain damage.

Kevin survived through Saturday and last night. This morning he had oxygen saturations of 90% and continued to be on life support.

The cause of his illness is still yet unknown. He is young and otherwise healthy, which is a good thing. Time will tell the extent of his deficit - if any.

Please pray for this young family as they struggle to cope with such a life changing event - he was healthy one minute and in an instant their life changed.

Pray for healing for Kevin and strength for Theresa. Zoe needs her daddy to get better and come home. And pray for us, her friends as we try to help in any way that we can.

And as you go to bed tonight remember to tell your loved ones that you love them.

Put the little things aside and concentrate on what is important - is it people or things? Family and friends or the next fancy pair of shoes?

Make changes to live a life full of good and purpose. Not a life filled with regret - for it can all change in an instant.

Live today as if it might be your last...because 'in an instant' happens...

"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away." James 4:13-14

Debbie