Valentine Miracle & an Extra Pair of Pants

          ’Twas a year ago this month we learned of an emergency and a miracle—both within days! You see, on February 12^th, seventy-nine-year-old Mr. Murray decided to go for a walk. This wasn’t unusual for him, but it became so when he didn’t come home.

          As the day wore on, alerts went out through police, community, and their church family. People not only began to pray, but they went out in vehicles and on foot—adults and kids alike—all searching for this dear man who simply…

          …lost his way home, for Mr. Murray had dementia.

          When night fell, there’d still been no signs of him. The Murray’s pastor and other of their church family comforted the Mrs.

          And the prayer warriors prayed.

          Temperatures dropped below freezing, as they could that time of year—Louisville KY nights quite chilly for the south. How would Mr. Lynn survive, and how afraid and disoriented would he be?

          The next morning, searchers went out again—adults and kids—until Day Two came to a close.

          Was there any way Mr. Lynn could survive another night in the cold—who knows where?

          God knew where! And as you read on, you’ll surely see God in this story too, as did we.

          We kept up on this situation long distance through our son, Michael, and his wife—they updating the prayer need. I’ll be honest with you though. To us it seemed almost impossible Mr. Murray could survive another night in the cold.

          South of the rural road where the Murray’s lived stretched acres and acres of rough, hilly woods—some areas so rough it’d challenge even a very physically fit person to scale it.

          The Mr. hadn’t been spotted along the road during searches. Could he be in the heavily wooded area?

          Everyone prayed on, hundreds searched, and Mr. Murray remained in the Hands of his God.

          But God wasn’t just with Mr. Murray. He surrounded his wife as well—this loving bride who trusted her husband into the care of her Lord, believing He would return her groom to her! Those who came to her aid found a woman who inspired their trust in God’s care of Mr. Murray.

          God was also with the prayer warriors. Some of the men seeking His Guidance believed they should go the next morning to a remote area of those woods.

          Valentine’s Day. Day Three.

          Not only did God’s Spirit speak to the hearts of the church men, but He was in the change of plans for another team that morning.

          Tree trimmers! They hadn’t planned to head to a remote area of the woods that day, yet that’s where they went. Unbeknownst to them, this was the same place the praying church men believed they should begin searching on Day Three.

          Not coincidently, another fellow joined the Murray’s church that Sunday before. He was a first responder and would play a part in the hours to come.

          Then the miracle came full circle! One of the tree-trimmers spotted a body lying below a bluff—an area that wouldn’t’ve been noticed usually or easily. And there?

          Mr. Murry! Bruised and scraped some, but…

          …alive!!! He opened his eyes, saw his rescuers, then closed them again. When he reached the hospital, his body temperature registered 85.

          You see, God protected Mr. Murray and even used his dementia to do so. For on that first day—the day he took this walk—he forgot he’d already gotten dressed and put on a second pair of pants!

          Tears of grave concern turned into ones of great jubilation on Valentine’s Day 2024! And there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that a miracle happened that day!

          A miracle of great love! 

My Father Watches Over Me—Mahalia Jackson sings:

My Father Watches Over Me

 

I trust in God wherever I may be, upon the land or on the rolling sea;

For come what may, from day to day, my heav’nly Father watches over me.

 

(Refrain) I trust in God, I know He cares for me, on mountain bleak or on the stormy sea

Though billows roll, He keeps my soul, my heav’nly Father watches over me.

 

He makes the rose an object of His care, He guides the eagle through the pathless air;

And surely He remembers me, my heav’nly Father watches over me. (Refrain)

 

I trust in God, for, in the lion’s den, on battlefield, or in the prison pen;

Through praise or blame, through flood or flame, my heav’nly Father watches over me. (Refrain)

 

The valley may be dark, the shadows deep, but oh, the shepherd guards His lonely sheep;

And through the gloom, He’ll lead me home, my heav’nly Father watches over me. (Refrain)

 

(from the hymn My Father Watches Over Me by W. C. Martin—1910, public domain)

Our son posted this on Facebook when Mr. Murray was found:

“Lynn has been found alive! Praise the Lord!! God sent tree trimmers up there doing their job to find him this morning in the woods!!!!

We're very proud of our church family, Valley View. As you may have heard, one of our members, Lynn, who suffers from Alzheimer's, went missing for the last two days in a wooded, hilly area. He spent two full nights in the cold.

Dozens of volunteers from the church scoured the area…sacrificing untold hours…drove, used ATVs, walked, and hiked. So many passed out flyers, shared the golden alert on social media, and prayed continuously. Two of the search volunteers are just ten years old. Some of our widows--Louise, Betty, and Elizabeth (who's 100 years old)--helped in the search effort. Some of the volunteers have gone to Valley View for decades. Others joined on Sunday, the day before Lynn went missing.

We're proud of our staff. You came alongside Brenda right away and ministered to her. You drove the area late into the night. You printed at least 700 flyers for volunteers to distribute. Immediately after Wright Tree Service discovered Lynn, you went to the scene to care for him and assist with carrying him down the mountain. Our pastor ministered to Brenda the whole time this was happening.

We're proud of the community. So many people from other churches and neighborhoods showed up to help search, distribute flyers, posted signage, organize search parties, and spread the word.

We're proud of the first responders--PRP and Nichols Fire & Rescue, EMS, EMA, LMPD, and the Bullitt County Sheriff's Office. What would we do without you?

We're thankful for the medical staff at the hospital working tirelessly to nurse Lynn back to health. And we're indebted to the tree service employee who spotted Lynn. We would love to know who you are.

Finally, thank You, God, for allowing Lynn to be found and cared for. We see Your providence in the timing and location of his discovery. We continue to pray for the family. Seeing the church and the community rise up together was truly amazing, so we thank you for this special moment.” 

                                                                                                    –Mike Hampshire

#ValentinesDay #miracle #Alzheimers #dementia #search&rescue #LouisvilleKY #ValleyViewChurch

#prayer #goldenalert #faithfulwife #volunteers #treeservice #firstresponders

 

Some content from KENTUCKY TODAY, “Church Comes to Aid in Crisis with Miraculous Ending” by Mark Maynard—managing editor

https://www.kentuckytoday.com/baptist_life/church-comes-to-aid-in-crisis-with-miraculous-ending/article_e461e62c-d7f2-11ee-8767-777cf6fa753d.html?utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR0W4gf1t0oSSdpGVqSXrmV5ZbCFR1GPP5YUoYqnMGSuv9akVMRU5bb_ysU

 

Photo Credit: Rescue: Pleasure Ridge Park Fire Department—Louisville KY

Lynn & Brenda Murray: Used with permission.

Personal sources: Mike & Shannon Hampshire

Hope in the Unexpected

 

          Dear Readers, may I introduce you to Tracy Crump, a fellow believer and author friend I met?

          Well, actually we haven’t met. Not face-to-face, that is.

          A couple years ago I attended on-line “Reality Coaching for Writers” classes to hone my writing skills. One of the guest instructors? Tracy Crump—specifically sharing how to write for Chicken Soup for the Soul, having been published in more than twenty of their books.

          I’d not considered writing for Chicken Soup, but after listening to Tracy’s presentation, I communicated with her and gave it a whirl.

          Tracy patiently led me through the process, cheered me on, and gave me the courage to submit a couple stories. How grateful I was for her coaching!

          But Tracy went even further. She helped launch our son’s memoir, writes me notes to see how I’m doing with my physical struggles, and prays for our family.

          I’ve been touched by Tracy’s testimony—her faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and her dedication to caregiving as well as her strong commitment to writing and writers.

          Tracy also ministers to caregivers through Instagram reels, monthly blogs, and her devotional book. She understands the isolation and helplessness caregivers often feel.

          And now, Readers, you'll become acquainted with Tracy too!

Tracy, thank you for guesting on my blog. I’m thrilled to share sweet you with the world! –Sarah

 

 

Hope in the Unexpected

By Tracy Crump

 

          Well, my year didn’t start out as planned.

 

          A few days after Christmas, my throat began throbbing on one side with pain shooting into my ear each time I swallowed. Over-the-counter pain meds barely dulled it. I saw my primary care provider, who prescribed an antibiotic, but the pain grew worse over the next few days. When I couldn’t get an appointment to see my doctor again before the weekend, I went to an urgent care clinic.

 

          The nurse practitioner took one look down my throat and said, “You have a tonsillar abscess.”

 

          She confirmed it with the other NP on duty.

 

          “The swelling could close off your airway,” the nurse said. “You need to go to the emergency room now.”

 

          So off to the hospital I went. ER personnel said the condition is usually diagnosed by CT scan, so I thought the nurses had overreacted. But no, they were right. A CT scan done at the hospital did show a tonsillar abscess. I received IV steroids and antibiotics and went home on oral meds. Two days later, I had to return to the ER when the pain and swelling increased and received more steroids.

 

          The following day, my husband and I both tested positive for Covid. Sheesh!

 

          We can’t predict when emergencies will happen, but we can find hope that nothing takes God by surprise. My online community of caring prayer partners bolstered me, and I even found reasons to be thankful for my predicament.

 

          When I posted about it on Facebook, one friend commented, “God led you to the right people.”

 

          So true! If the nurse practitioners at the urgent care clinic—a facility I had never visited before—hadn’t correctly diagnosed the problem, things could have turned ugly fast. I was also grateful that the ER doctor treated me conservatively rather than opting for more invasive intervention.

 

          God used the situation to minister to someone else, too. When I walked into the emergency room that first night, there sat a friend from church. She single-handedly cares for her husband, who is on hospice for cancer, so I knew something was very wrong. She had driven herself to the hospital after falling off her porch and injuring her ankle, which she thought might be fractured.

 

          “That’s all you need right now,” I said.

 

          My friend’s concerns for her husband overrode her pain for a while. He hadn’t eaten anything all day. Fortunately, she was able to secure someone to stay with him and texted back and forth with the caregiver about what to feed him. She hadn’t planned on a trip to the hospital that day, but managing care for her husband brought her peace.

 

          As her pain set in again, we talked about how hard caregiving is and the importance of a support system, but even in that, I felt God’s hope infusing the conversation. Just then, our pastor stopped by the hospital and prayed with us both, confirming that God knew our needs and would take care of them one by one.

 

          No, hospital trips and illness weren’t what either my friend or I had envisioned for the new year, but God often uses unexpected paths to lead to renewed hope in Him. That’s one reason I love the old Irish hymn, “Be Thou My Vision.” God is ever with us, whether in the emergency room or the hospice home. He brings hope and light to any situation.

 

Be Thou My Vision

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Optrm7lF16s

 

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me save that Thou art.

Thou my best thought by day and by night; Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

 

Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true Word; I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord.

Thou my great Father, I Thy dear child; Thou in me dwelling, with Thee reconciled.

 

Be Thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight; Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight.

Thou my soul’s shelter, Thou my high tow’r. Raise Thou me Heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r.

 

Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise; Thou mine inheritance, now and always.

Thou and Thou only, first in my heart, High King of Heaven, my treasure Thou art.

 

High King of Heaven, my victory won, May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heav’ns Sun!

Heart of my heart, whatever befall, Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.

 

(from Be Thou My Vision—Eleanor H. Hull, versifier & Mary E. Byrne, translator. 1905—public domain)

Tracy’s links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracycrumpwrites/

Blog: https://tracycrump.com/blog/

Devotional book: https://amzn.to/2OinraH

 

#writing #RealityCoachingforWriters #DianaLeeFlegal #EddieJones #ChickenSoupfortheSoul

#caregiving #nurse #emergencies #tonsillarabscess #emergencyroom #hopeinGod

 

Photo credit: “HOPE”—istock & additional via T. Crump