Yes, I believe in Angels. I believe they act behind the scenes in things that we can take for granted, or in things that we are not even aware of, but I believe they have many functions; protection being one of them. Last week, however, they were very much front and center, and without delving into a strictly theological argument as to how they function in the heavenly realm in conjunction with God, I do believe that they were a part of saving Michael's life... How quickly we are reminded of how fragile life can be.
James had put Michael down for a nap around 11 am, and then proceeded downstairs to work/play on the computer. After several hours, despite the fact that he hadn't heard Michael crying, James had a distinct feeling that he needed to check on Michael, so he went back upstairs. Just as he was entering Michael's bedroom, he noticed that Michael was laying on his back in his crib and vomiting. James was unable to get to Michael and get him turned over before he had already swallowed the vomit. Michael stopped breathing, and started turning purple and blue, along with absolute terror in his eyes. James couldn't get his airway clear because it wasn't something solid you could really grab on to, so he called 911. Just as the paramedics were arriving, something caused Michael to start coughing, and he was able to expel the vomit. Fortunately, he started breathing again, and they were able to clean him up. The vomit, having been forgotten for the moment while concentrating on Michael, was determined to have spread far and wide, including on Mocha (the dog). After a trip to Urgent Care which determined that there was no serious damage or remnants in the lungs, Michael was playing nicely on the floor when I arrived home. While it is obviously impossible to pinpoint where and how angels were involved, I do believe that they were there in some measure helping Michael and/or causing him to cough, in addition to preventing things from being worse than they were. What would have happened if James had not followed the urge to go upstairs to check on Michael?? Why do we as adults always need constant reminders that we are not in control???
The psychological aftereffects were not apparent until bedtime when he refused to go back into his room, and screamed and screamed if Andrea wasn't holding him in a certain position or if James or I attempted to leave the room. All three of us had to be where he could see us; the couch being his preferred location. Due to exhaustion I'm sure, he finally fell asleep on the couch, and in the morning, when I came upstairs, both he and Andrea were in exactly the same position on the couch. "Safe and Sound" might be an appropriate or at least comforting description for the scene. Just tonight, a week later, Andrea warned me that Michael has been having "night terrors," so that if I am woken up in the middle of the night by a screaming child - I'm forewarned. I am not sure if it is because of his traumatic experience or just the terrible two's...However, the end result is the same....screaming and more screaming from an inconsolable child.
It's hard to put into words how grateful we all are that Michael's life was spared. There are so many tragic news stories about toddlers dying. Just recently, I heard how a toddler wandered out into the snow and froze to death and a toddler drowned because the mother fell asleep. Maybe you've heard some of them, and for me, hearing them still makes me wonder why...why did God not spare all those precious little lives as he spared Michael's??? Maybe we're not supposed to know...
No comments:
Post a Comment