If you know me and you're reading this, you might have heard about my dad's recent stroke. This is something I haven't shared with very many people at all. You'll have to bear with me because this is a bit of a long story. But I think it's worth sharing.
I was out at college, living with a friend of mine while I wrapped up my last few days of work before returning home for the summer. She lived very close to two of my coworkers. I had only been to my coworkers' place two or three times before, and I didn't know the apartment number. So when I got locked out of Elizabeth's apartment, I was kinda bummed out. I had gotten off work early, and no one was home. Did I mention my phone was broken so I couldn't even call Elizabeth? I even tried opening the windows to her kitchen and living room. Luckily for me, either her neighbors didn't see me or they condone breaking and entering. (Kidding!)
So I walked over to my coworkers' complex. Like a lot of people, I have a somewhat photographic memory, so I was able to figure out which apartment was my friends'. I kind of looked at the number on the door, shrugged my shoulders, and went, "Hm. I hope this is the right one." I knocked and was relieved when my friend Eli answered. I was able to call Elizabeth with his phone and eventually someone came home and I was able to get in.
Remember that background information. It'll be important in a minute.
Fast-forward to the next night. I was in the hotel room with my parents and little brother (they had come to pick me up and drive me fourteen-hundred miles across the country to home). We were going to leave early the next morning.
Right around six bells (that's 11 o'clock, for you non-sailors out there.... I honestly had to Google that; I just think it's fun to say "six bells"), I had just fallen asleep when I was woken up by my mom. She was shouting something about calling 911. I saw my dad standing up between the hotel beds and he was trying to talk. His words weren't coming out right. We couldn't understand a single thing he was saying. I thought he was still asleep and having some kind of night terror. I started hitting him to try to wake him up. Later, he said he didn't even know that--probably because he had lost all feeling in the left side of his body.
Finally, my mom was able to make out the word "stroke." We realized what was happening. And it was terrifying. My dad was kneeling by the bed with his head in his hands. I told my little brother to say a prayer. He immediately started to, but it was hard for him to focus because my mom was on the phone with 911 and my dad was clearly unwell. It was a terrifying situation. I knelt on the bed by him and finished the prayer with him. My dad said he'll never forget looking up from his spot on the ground and seeing us on the bed, praying. I know Heavenly Father heard and answered our prayer, no matter how choppy it might have been.
A hotel worker came up and offered to take our dog downstairs, where they would take care of him for as long as we needed them to. The paramedics came and strapped my dad to a wheelchair-like thing. As they were carrying him down the stairs, he started laughing because he thought of a funny scene from The Dick Van Dyke Show. Classic Dad. Earlier, in the hotel room, he had tried to make us laugh, too, by ooh-eh-ooh-ah-ing like a monkey. What a goof. He was just worried about us while we were just worried about him.
My mom, little brother, and I drove to the hospital. I was telling my brother about funny YouTube videos to keep his mind off of what had just happened and the fact that we were all unsure of what was going to happen. I was trying to keep it together because, for goodness' sake, I didn't want my little brother to see me upset, and I knew if I started crying, I wouldn't be able to stop. And I certainly didn't want my dad to worry more about me than he already was.
We got to the hospital. While we waited to see my dad, I showed Jason a few of the videos I had been telling him about in the car. Then my dad came in. His words were still kind of slurred, but he seemed better than he had. My dad asked if I had any friends or hometeachers who could come to give him a priesthood blessing.
I went out to the waiting room to try to call Eli. My phone was still broken, so I used my mom's. I called Eli probably about a dozen times. No answer. No answer. No answer. I started to get worried. I finally got my own phone to turn on and had access to more of my friends' numbers. I tried calling another friend of mine. No answer. My phone died again.
Finally, I tried calling Elizabeth. She answered even though she was in bed. That's when my worries got the best of me and I started bawling. To say out loud that my dad had had a stroke wasn't easy. I was surprised she could even understand me. A hospital employee came over and gave me tissues. Another asked if I was okay. Small kindness goes a long way.
Because Elizabeth lived so close to Eli, I asked a huge favor of her. I asked her to walk over to a stranger's place in the middle of the night and pound on the door until someone answered. Remember how I had gotten locked out of her apartment the day before? Ah, here's where that comes in. If I hadn't gotten locked out, and if my phone hadn't been broken, and if I hadn't had to walk over to Eli's and cross my fingers that apartment x was his... I wouldn't have been able to tell her which apartment to go to.
So she and her roommate, like the two angels on earth that they are, walked over in the pitch darkness and knocked on the door.
No answer.
No answer.
No answer.
She called me. She told me no one had come to the door, but she would try again. She knocked on the door and saw a light on in the apartment. At last, someone was coming to answer the door. One of Eli's roommates, whom I'd only met a few times before, answered. Elizabeth explained what was going on, and AJ immediately went to wake up Eli. AJ had been just about to go to bed and Eli had work early the next morning, but they changed into their church clothes and came over to the hospital. Elizabeth told me it was so cool to see these two hurry to do their priesthood duty so readily and willingly.
They drove over to the hospital. They stood in the hallway with my little brother and me for a while while my mom and the doctors were with my dad. They waited with us until we could go in. When we could, they introduced themselves; they had never met my family before. What does that tell you about the selflessness of worthy and active priesthood holders? It was nearly one in the morning, and yet they had come to help out people they'd never met!
If you're not familiar with priesthood blessings, I recommend going to mormon.org to learn more about them. You can even chat with a representative of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints if you'd like. AJ gave the first part of the blessing.
After AJ finished the first part, Eli said the second part of the blessing. They placed their hands on the top of my dad's head and Eli spoke. It was a beautiful blessing, and as soon as Eli started talking, I felt a great calm come over me. I knew everything would be okay. In the blessing, my dad was told that he would still face some challenges ahead, but that he would return to full health.
Guess what happened.
Exactly that.
I know with all of my heart that God hears and answers our prayers. A lot of prayers were said that night, and we continue to give our thanks to God for His answers. I'm grateful for the skilled doctors who helped my dad recover. I'm thankful for modern medicine and technology that helps us solve problems like these.
I have no doubt that Heavenly Father has a plan for us. His plan is perfect. I am so eternally grateful for my wonderful friends who helped us that night and for everyone who has kept my family in his or her prayers and thoughts. Sometimes, our wills don't quite match up with Gods, but I can't even articulate how thankful I am that this time, they did.
The power of the priesthood is real. The power of prayer is real. I know they are. People can say what they will about the Church and the priesthood and God and prayer. But what I felt that night can never be taken away from me. Christ is my hero, as are those who act in His name and with His authority.
I'd like to...
Watch a 1-minute-long video on the priesthood: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOtz1v_-DOo
Learn more about Jesus Christ: http://mormon.org/beliefs/jesus-christ
Request a free copy of the Book of Mormon: http://mormon.org/free-book-of-mormon
Request a free copy of the Bible: http://mormon.org/free-bible
Meet with Mormon missionaries: http://mormon.org/missionaries
Chat with Church representatives: http://mormon.org/chat
Read frequently asked questions: http://mormon.org/faq
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