How It All Began

When peace like a river, attendeth my way;
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul

I'm not normally a blogger or much of a story teller, but I think I need to tell this story so you can all be encouraged with just How good our God is.
I have to start further back than just today, so please stay with me.

I get to do a job that I love, and part of that job is to go to places like Brazil and Italy to purchase slabs for us to sell. Normally Teresa, my wife, goes with me to give a second opinion and so I have some nice company on the trip. Teresa is a home body. She doesn't like to be gone longer than a week even if it's going to Hawaii or Rio, she is ready to come home after 1 week. So I was planning my trip to Italy and we were also planning a trip to So. Cal. for spring break with the kids. Kimmy is out of school now so we thought we should plan a trip for all of us to go.

For Americans life and the calendar is filled to overflowing with "good things". Sporting events, trips, banquets, school work, home work, you name it there is good things happening. It does seem hard to carve out any time that doesn't effect something else on the calendar. We do what we most want to do.

So, as I am planning the trip to Italy Teresa and I discussed whether or not she should go and the fact that we would have to leave for So. Cal. right when we return. Decisions, decisions.

We had our church Easter concert on Good Friday and the next morning was the trip to Italy. I didn't look at the holiday calendar, so when I purchased the ticket I didn't realize that for part of my trip I would be flying on Easter.

I woke up w/o the alarm clock as usual at 4:20, excited to go and wanting to be prepared for whatever was coming. I drove down to Seattle and got to 45th str. and realized I had no idea where I had put my wallet. I pulled over, ripped through the car to find it, but it was no where to be seen. I reluctantly called Teresa and got her out of bed, again, to have her look for it at home. She very patiently looked and couldn't find it. I turned around and headed for home, but then pulled back over to look in another spot. God is good, I had put my wallet in the bag I packed the night before, under my passport. I turned back around and headed back towards the airport. Teresa could go back to bed. She isn't a morning person, but she did really well being awake and patient with me.

I arrived at the airport and checked right in. Right through security. Wow this is nice. I sat down to look for directions to the hotel and looked for another hotel room in Milan for my return flight evening and just relaxed.

Life is good. I get to go to Italy for work but Teresa had decided to stay home. I emailed her to tell her I love her and then it was time to board the plane.
I knew I was going to be sitting for a long time so I just stood in front of my seat while the plane was filling.

The plane was over sold so they asked if anyone wanted to take a round trip ticket if they were flexible, but I had another plane to catch in Philly to get to Milan, so my schedule wasn't flexible. Or so I thought.

I called home to tell Teresa goodbye, but the phone went right to voice mail. Maybe she already left to go to the weeding party at the church. I tried her cell and the same thing. Maybe she just didn't have her phone on???

Oh well, I'll try again in a few minutes and then if she doesn't answer I'll have to call her when I land in Philly. 2 minutes later Garrett, our youngest called me back. I was excited to hear from home, but OH I was not expecting what I was about to hear.

Kimmy, our oldest, has been staying at our youth pastor Sean's house helping his wife because she is sick from being pregnant with their 3rd child and the other 2 children need attention. What a great experience for Kimmy, and hopefully a great help to our friends. So Kimmy is not living in our house right now. We miss Kimmy.

Teresa decided to make cookies this morning so the kids at the gardening party would have some goodies. Why wasn't she in her bathroom getting ready? She doesn't have time to make cookies this morning. Me and my schedule. She was making cookies because the kitchen is directly under the boys shower.

Here we go. Get ready to see God's grace and goodness in focus.

The call from home is not the one you ever are ready for or really ever want to get.
Garrett gave the phone to Teresa and she told me that Grant, our 17 year old middle son, is in cardiac arrest, she had given him CPR, the paramedics had given him CPR, they had also given him 5 fibrillations and he is not responding.

I am sitting in the plane in my seat waiting to take off. God is good. We haven't taken off yet. I could have been on my way to Philly, but within 5 minutes I was on the road to the hospital.

As a dad, this is hard to take. My big, manly son is barely alive. Would he be alive when I got there? What was he going to look like when I got there?

Teresa was baking cookies because the kitchen is right under the boys bathroom so she could hear Grant collapse in the shower and go up stairs to help. She had to break down the door to get into the bathroom. If she had been in her bathroom she wouldn't have heard him fall. If she had been on the trip with me the only one that would have been home would have been Garrett, who doesn't know CPR.

I don't know why God chose to give Grant this today, but I do know that He has impeccable timing and He doesn't give us anything we can't handle.

The chaplain at the hospital asked if we are trying to set a world record for having the most amount of visitors. God is good to give us such a great group of friends and family to minister to us in being here, crying with us, laughing with us and just loving us. I know that Grant belongs to God, but I would like to keep him if He would let me. I really like him.

Romans 11:36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever.

Looking to Christ,
Chuck

Click here to read the next part, "Night One"