Surreal but very real

by Nelson Roth

Surreal would be a word to describe my experience following Pam’s brain hemorrhage. Although very real - what was happening to Pam was like we were in a dream.  At the same time, I knew Pam’s condition was very real and something was critically wrong.

The big concern was - “What’s happening?” And, “Where do we go for help?”  

I had no idea what the answers were to the questions coming to mind. And, as I reflect back on it now, it’s like we were in a distorted dream - a big blur.

Being in this dreamlike state actually made me feel numb in a way; which in the long run probably helped me stay focused. I don’t remember panicking or overreacting. I was very concerned; yet I remained calm.

A description of what those days were like is summed up best in our trip to the hospital. It was in the middle of the night and very dark when a stranger drove us to the emergency room. And though the heaviness of the darkness was how I felt, we were literally being taken by the hand of God and guided to where we needed to go.

So, here we were in an unfamiliar place having no idea where to go for the help we desperately needed. And yet, my experience was that everything we needed came our way and every question we had was answered at the time we needed an answer. And it happened over and over again in the course of the next days and weeks.

God knew exactly where we were!  He knew we needed a miracle. He provided for everything we needed throughout this unreal time; and, we experienced the truth of this passage - “The peace of God ... surpasses all understanding,” Philippians 4:7.

Out of a heart of gratitude, I say, “Thank you, Lord, for hearing our prayers and the prayers of our family and friends. Pam and I are so grateful to still be journeying through this life together. Our desire is to live life to the fullest and share our story of God meeting us where we were and with exactly what we needed.”