Welcome back to the interview between Annie Garman and Lisa Johnson pertaining to the tragedy that hit Lisa’s family a little over 2 years ago now. If you missed last week’s email/blog, please go back and read it before proceeding here.
Annie: Tell us about a specific way God spoke to you in the eye of this storm:
Lisa: It was on a Sunday a week after the accident. Ross and my younger boys were at church and I was the one to stay with Xavier at the hospital. We had just experienced the worst week of our entire lives. His Internal Cranium Pressure numbers that measure the swelling in the brain were lowering which was a good sign. So on this particular Sunday, I walked into that hospital feeling the presence of God with me and believed that Xavier would continue to be all right.
As I walked into my son’s room, I noticed his ICP numbers once again were elevated. My heart sunk to my stomach as I tried to make sense of the change from just the night before to now. Very shortly after I was there, the doctors came in and told me about his rough night and started asking me questions like, “Did X ever drown or go under water? Is it possible he stopped breathing at some point?”
I knew these were questions from doctors who were trying to make sense of why Xavier turned for the worse. They felt that maybe he was soon going to be brain dead. After I chatted with them and they left, the tears just flowed. I was alone and could not text Ross as he was preaching a message of hope to our congregation at Gathering Pointe Church.
I did the only thing I could do.
I found a quiet room away from staring eyes on the same hospital floor. I snuck in, went in the corner of the room just under a skylight and got on my knees. I prayed with all my heart. I cried with my whole body. I begged God to let my son live. I even sang some songs to Him. I called on Jesus’ name, over and over and over.
My heart and chest hurt. I was as emotionally distraught as I ever would be, but in that room and in that quiet hour, God spoke to me. I could feel Him loving me. I could sense that, no matter what, things would be ok. I felt the prayers of thousands lifting me up and lifting my spirits. I was able to go back and sit with X and continuously pray but have this peace as well. Oh, I still hurt and was still shaken, but I knew who was holding me up.
God did answer our prayers as that evening and the next day or so, Xavier’s ICP numbers started to come back down and it seemed like he would live. That was our first hope, to keep our son with us. Then our journey of helping him recover was just beginning.
Annie: Help us understand what you have experienced the last two years. What has been your range of emotions?
Lisa: We’ve experienced almost every emotion…yet our emotions have changed with time. In the beginning of his accident we were in shock and trying to hold on to hope. Then we mostly were grieving. We realized right away the implications of this kind of accident and knew things would never be the same for Xavier. Our moments of grief still happen, but not as much.
I would say now that we are closer to 2 years after this accident we are back to having hope and trust in God. We also have had moments of joy and laughter with Xavier. We have felt proud and honored that God would choose us and Xavier to share with so many His love and goodness.
Please pray for Lisa and her family as they continue this journey. I have been amazed at their strength through all of this and it can only come from the Lord.
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