The next afternoon, (Thursday, May 28) God worked a miracle and brought Dad back to us!
Unlike Tuesday, when Dad refused to talk to Mom, now he actually asked the nurse if he could call her. The nurse kindly helped him and he and Mom were able to chat for about 40 minutes!
Dad showed no confusion and depression like Tuesday. No confusion and agitation like Wednesday.
Instead, Dad carried on a normal conversation. He told Mom that he'd been very confused earlier and didn't remember what had happened the past few days. Instead of explaining everything, Mom wisely told Dad not to even think about it because now he was so much better!
When Mom called that day to tell me the good news, she greeted me with, “Grandpa says to wish the birthday boy a happy birthday!” She had reminded Dad that the next day was my son’s birthday, and Dad asked her to wish him a happy birthday! What a beautiful surprise!
Now I was ashamed of my frustration with God as I wondered how long we might have to wait--weeks, months, years--for Dad to come back to us. But God was faithful even when I was not, and He had this planned all along. As I look back on what happened, I am filled with gratitude that God let Dad go through the stages of withdrawal so rapidly. Literally a day for each—sweats and fever, depression, hyperactivity and hallucinations… Later Dad told me he’d had a dream/hallucination that he had to get all of these blocks in the right places so that he could die. And I think that might have been what he was “seeing” on Wednesday when he was moving his hands around. How grateful I am that God, in His mercy, cut short that time and brought Dad back to us again.
At the end of my e-mail that night I posted this verse, which so beautifully summed up everything…
II Cor. 1:9b-11 "But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us again. On Him we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many."
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