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INSPIRATION
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A Forever Friend
Sometimes in life, you find a special friend;
Someone who changes your life just by being part of it.
Someone who makes you laugh until you can't stop;
Someone who makes you believe that there really is good in the world.
Someone who convinces you that there really is an unlocked door
just waiting for you to open it.
This is Forever Friendship.
When you're down,and the world seems dark and empty,
Your forever friend lifts you up in spirit
and makes that dark and empty world suddenly seem bright and full.
Your forever friend gets you through the hard times, the sad times,
and the confused times.
If you turn and walk away,
your forever friend follows.
If you lose your way, your forever friend guides you
and cheers you on.
Your forever friend holds your hand and tells you that
everything is going to be okay.
And if you find such a friend, you feel happy and complete,
because you need not worry.
You have a forever friend for life,
and forever has no end.
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Instead of loving your enemies, treat your friends a little better.
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The truth of the matter is that you always know the right
thing to do. The hard part is doing it."
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Success is not measured by the position one has reached in life, rather
by
the obstacles overcome while trying to succeed.
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Friendships, like marriages, are dependent on avoiding the
unforgivable.
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STORIES
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The Smell of Rain
A warm July wind danced around the dead of night in Austin as the
doctor
walked into my hospital room. Still groggy from surgery, my husband -
Gary
- was holding my hand. That afternoon, complications had
forced me - while only 24 weeks pregnant - to undergo an emergency
cesarean
to deliver our new son, Adam.
At 12 inches long and weighing only one pound and 8 ounces, we knew he
was
perilously premature. Still, the doctor's soft words dropped like
bombs.
"I don't think he's going to make it", he said. "There's only a
10-percent
chance he will live through the night, and even then, his future could
be a
very cruel one".
Numb with disbelief, Gary and I listened as the doctor described the
devastating problems Adam would likely face if he survived. He would
never
walk; he would never talk; he would probably be blind as his eyes were
still webbed shut. He would certainly be prone to other catastrophic
conditions from cerebral palsy to complete mental retardation; and on
and
on. "No! No!" was all I could say. We had all dreamed of the day we
would
become a family of five. Now, in a matter of hours, that dream was
slipping away.
My husband said that we needed to talk about making funeral
arrangements. I
felt so bad for him because he was doing everything, trying to include
me,
but I just couldn't listen. I said, "No, that is not going to happen,
no
way! I don't care what the doctors say. Adam is not going to die!
One
day he will be just fine, and he will be coming home with us!"
Adam clung to life with the help of every medical machine and marvel
her
miniature body could endure but as those first days passed; a new agony
set
in for Gary and I. Because Adam's underdeveloped nervous system was
essentially "raw", the lightest kiss or caress only intensified his
discomfort - so we couldn't even cradle our tiny baby boy against our
chests. All we could do was to pray that God would stay close to our
precious little boy.
As the weeks went by, he slowly gained weight and strength. When Adam
turned two months old, I was finally able to hold him. Five months
later,
though doctors continued to warn that his chances of survival - much
less
living a normal life - were next to zero, Adam went home, just as I had
predicted.
Four years later, Adam is a very small but feisty young boy. Although
he
has numerous medical and physical problems and impairments, he shows no
signs of mental retardation. But this happy ending is far from the end
of
his story...
One afternoon - not too long ago - Adam was sitting in my lap watching
his
brothers ride their bicycles. As always, he was chattering non-stop
with
me. Hugging his arms across his chest, Adam asked, "Do you smell that?"
Detecting the approach of a thunderstorm, I replied, "Yes, it smells
like
rain". Still caught in the moment, Adam shook his head, patted his
thin
shoulders with his small hands and loudly announced, "No, it smells
like
Him. It smells like God when you lay your head on His chest". Tears
started burning my eyes as Adam then got down to play.
His words had confirmed what we had known all along - During the first
two
months of life, when his nerves were too sensitive for us to touch him,
God
was holding Adam on His chest, and it is His loving scent that he
remembers
so well.
In case you didn't know - this is a true story of my son Adam. A
friend of
mine helped to write this for me around this past Christmas time. I
wanted
to share it with you so that you can see that miracles truly do happen
to
everyday people like us. All you need to do is keep the faith!
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