Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Tis the Season???

Boy, talk about being tested...
In the last month I've seen three friends pass away, one a very dear family friend and two that I knew from working with them. It sucks, but I'm doing alright with it. Terri is still battling with her stuff and she texted me last night when I asked how she was doing: "I'm good but please pray for my friend who had to be induced into a coma because she was having seizures non-stop. She was in remission but the cancer returned and spread to her brain." Oh boy... but that's Terri for you... even though she's got her own stuff to deal with, she's always thinking of others. So I told her that I would definetely be praying for her and her friend.
Just got back from a lousy weekend in Iowa. We lost both games we played out there but that wasn't even on my radar. One of the players, Lucas, was injured in the hockey game on Saturday and was laid out on the ice and wasn't moving. The trainer asked him if he was alright but he couldn't feel anything in his extremeties. The trainer pinched his hand hard and Lucas didn't feel a thing. So they called 911 and immobilized him, the EMT's came and put him on a stretcher. My heart sank with worry as I knew his family down in Florida was listening to the game. But the father of one of the other players had made the trip to Iowa with us and he stayed with Lucas the whole time. He stayed on his cell the whole time with Lucas' dad. One of the players who didn't dress for the game due to injury went over to Lucas as he was being carted off the ice to offer words of encouragement. Willy later came over to me during the broadcast and said that Lucas was cracking jokes to try and calm everyone down. After the game, we sent the players back to the hotel and our team bus driver carted the coaching staff and yours truly over the hospital not knowing what to expect. I feared the worst, but I prayed. Boy did I pray. And my prayer was answered, thank the Good Lord. All feeling returned for Lucas in his extremeties with the exception of his left arm feeling very sore, he was alright. I exchanged emails with his dad the next day and he told me that he was grateful for being kept in the loop via cell phone during the whole ordeal and that talking to Lucas really calmed him down. Lucas was released from the ER a couple of hours after the game and we ordered a pizza for him and everyone went back to the hotel with a big sigh of relief. I got back to my room, grabbed a bite of pizza, and gave thanks to God for Lucas' health, and then went to sleep. I interviewed Lucas on the air the next day during the game and I got hit with a ton of email from listeners thanking me for that because they were worried. He cracked a couple of jokes to try and keep things loose and I told him how good it was to see him. He smiled and said "yeah, I'm really glad I'm here to see you too." Now that I think about it, that about sums up what I'm feeling overall these days. I'm glad I'm here and I'm going to continue to pray for family and loved ones and that I endure...Because I know that this stuff too shall pass...

4 comments:

Helen said...

Sorry about the loss of your friends. My prayers go out to their families, Terri and her friend. Sounds like a miracle was preformed on Lucas. Helen

Carolyn said...

Mik, I have no words about you losing so many people over the past few years, as I can't imagine. I put a new signature on my e mail tonight, maybe says something. It's 2 Cor. 3,4:Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
I've had so many people on my heart lately (most I have never seen face to face) and it amazes me that the Lord is moving so much through so many of us. We may not always be able to stop death and disease- sometimes yes, often times no, but He is moving in so many to encourage and lift each other up. It just hit me now to think of how close so many of us are- though we've never met in this life. It can only be because of Him! God Bless you and your family Mik- and those who need prayers too.
PS- I am SO glad Lucas is OK, I got shivers (not in a good way) when reading that. When we were kids, my cousin Scott got paralyzed from the neck down by sliding into the boards. He can move his arms somewhat, but has been in a wheelchair ever since. I am so glad Lucas had a different outcome. God bless!!!

Ken Riches said...

Glad that young man is OK.

ADB said...

I'm sorry to hear of the loss of your friends, Mik. Hope 2010 improves for you.