August 1995
David came home one day after an appointment at the doctor and told me that if he did not have a kidney transplant he would be dead in about 2 years.
Wow! It was like someone had hit me upside the head. I thought surely not – he had to have misunderstood the doctor. The next day I spoke to the doctor and sure enough – that is what he was told.
After I hung up the phone, I kept getting more mad and more mad. I was so angry with God. I didn’t sleep much that night. The next morning on my way to work I started thinking that there were only two things in life David ever wanted and that was to be a preacher and a Dad. So I did the two things we are NOT suppose to do. I told God I was angry with Him then I told Him if He would just allow David to experience these two things I would not ask for him to spare his life.
I continued to pray every day, asking God for guidance, how to handle all this. Two weeks after the horrible doctor’s appointment, we received a phone call from our adoption specialist. She had a four year old boy for us to meet. We met that four year old boy and fell in love with him. November 1995 he was living in our home.
A couple months later David received a phone call from a pastor friend of his asking him to fill in for him a couple weeks while he was gone. One thing led to another and within two more months David was going in view of a call.
March 1996
We received a call asking if we would be interested in a newborn. She was to be born the first of April. We were so excited!! The following week we received a call that she was born early and we needed to come pick her up. WOW!!! Overwhelmed with God’s goodness we were so very thankful.
Ummmm it finally hit me. God was allowing David to experience the 2 things I asked for.
I got really scared – I knew I had to hold up my end of the bargain no matter how hard it would be.
God let David be a Daddy.
March 1997
He was such an awesome dad! God also let David be a pastor for a little over a year. I had never seen him so happy. David had his kidney transplant in March but had several set backs. Many trips to Little Rock, some in the middle of the night, some trying to get there before it was too late.
One weekend David got really bad. He was life flighted(sp) to Little Rock unconscious. When I got there the doctor was waiting for me. He told me to call in all the family, he probably wasn’t going to make it thru the weekend. Several hours later everyone was there and I had to explain to our 6 year old son that his Dad was going to go live with Jesus and we needed to tell him goodbye.
That was the hardest thing I ever had to do. Two days later, David was sitting up, talking and was going to a regular room. God does amazing things. He used David for several more months to reach people he never would have had a chance to tell about God and how awesome He is.
September 1997
I received a call from the doctor in Little Rock. He told me there wasn’t anything else they could do.
I needed to come pick up David and bring him home to die.
WOW! Another hard thing. God took over, I brought David home. He got to spend time with the kids. He planned out his funeral. He lined up some churches to go speak at. Always giving God the praise.
December 7, 1997
God took David home to be with Him. No more pain, no more problems. As much as it hurt, I knew God was faithful. He has never left me. God has blessed me so much with this experience and I can finally say that I am glad I got to go through it.
Thank you,
Julie