My Momma by Wendi S. Harrington

[Wendi S. Harrington]

My Momma

 

In December 2015, we were awakened by urgent pounding on the door in the wee hours of the morning. My vibrant, full-of-life, hard-working mother had not shown up for work that night and had not called in. Unable to abate her growing concern, my mother’s coworker and friend clocked out and went to her house; where she found my mother unconscious.

As my mom hovered between here and eternity on a ventilator, medical personnel told me she was septic, in multiple organ failure, had double pneumonia, and was unlikely to recover.

Life stopped for me during those days. I sat at her bedside until I was forced to leave. At home each night, I couldn’t sleep. I found myself time and time again, marching up and down my hallway, hands raised, tears flowing, 2 particular worship songs repeating on my phone until the Spirit of God would flow from my fingertips to my toes and saturate me with peace.

Jesus proclaimed in John 14:18, “I will not leave you comfortless. I will come to you.” And he did just that. Night after long and agonizing night for 3 weeks.

On one particularly frightening day when my mom’s IV drip was depleted and the nurse had to wait on someone to bring her a new bag, I watched my mom’s blood pressure drop to fatal levels. My pastor sent me a bible verse:

Behold, the eye of the lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy.

(Psalm 33:18)

My heart leaped! I fear Him! I hope in His mercy! His eye is on me— he can see this room, he can see my momma. He knows. He knows.

Words will never convey how much that one tiny text meant to my faith.

 

My momma came off the vent.

Against all odds. Against everything my nursing training had taught me. She went home to live independently on 2L of oxygen for SIX years. She is now in a nursing home, where she receives assistance with the menial exertions of daily life.

But she lives!

Every breath she takes is an absolute miracle of God that I am ever thankful for!

[Author]

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