Even before my eyes opened this morning, I dreaded this day. As I stared at the ceiling, the sky still dark outside, I tried to steady myself against the dawn. After a myriad of tests and scans yesterday, my father was kept overnight to await the results. As my sister and I drove to the hospital today, the sinking, gnawing feeling in my stomach grew stronger. As we arrived and my phone rang, my heart raced. What bad news were we about to hear?

It was my mother calling to inform us that my father was being released. When we got to his room we learned that the tests and scans had come back and they not revealed anything concerning. They want him to follow up with his doctors in the next week or so, but they said he was free to go. All we had to do was wait for the official discharge papers. 

Once again, God answered our prayers in an exciting and tangible way! After digesting the news, smiling, and chatting, we soon fell quiet, each of us feeling the exhaustion of the broken tension. I laid down on the couch in the room and let my body rest as we waited for the nurse. It took a few hours for everything to get straightened out, and then we were sent on our way! Dad couldn’t wait to get home. 

Meanwhile, Tim and the kids had gone to visit my brother in law’s church this morning because the great grandparents were visiting. After church and lunch, they headed to their new destination, a hotel about 20 minutes from the hospital. So as my mom, dad, and sister pulled away, I stayed at the hospital and waited for my family to swing by and pick me up. Then we headed to the hotel the grandparents would be at. We had a lovely visit sharing a meal and catching up with each others’ lives.  

On the drive home I marveled at the way our day turned out. The result was utterly different than I had expected in so many ways. What started out as anxiety in my core, ended with thanksgiving and gratefulness on my lips!

To Christ be all glory!