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{SFTH} *The Clock Ticks* 4/9/01
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The Clock Ticks
By Steven A. Robertson
Normally, the birth of a first child would be a joyous event, and in the case of a father having a son to carry on the family name the joy and pride knows no bounds. However, on March 21, 1994, the clock at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Hospital ticked to 9:50 AM and my son Brendyn entered the world with a sense of all consuming dread instead of the joy that should have existed.
I still remember his soft cry, which was followed literally in the space of a heartbeat by the doctor's shout at my wife. "Open your eyes and look at your son!"
At 24 weeks into a pregnancy the survival rate for a child is remote at best and I could understand my wife's misgivings at opening her eyes only to see the corpse of our newly born son.
In a flurry of activity our son was whisked to the neonatal intensive care unit (N.I.C.U.), my wife was returned to her room to recover, and I was left to my own dark thoughts.
Tick. Another second rolls into another minute that my son has survived. In my mind each minute was marking another birthday for my son.
Tick. An hour has slipped by at last. Sixty birthdays for my son have passed and somehow through the feelings of numbness and helplessness I remember the nurse telling me he weighted one pound seven ounces and was eleven and three quarter inches long.
Tick. The nurse enters my wife's room and tells us that we can go and see our son. Holding her hand tightly as we enter the nursery to behold the tiny form attached to an almost endless labyrinth of wires and tubes that made him appear more mechanical than flesh and blood.
Tick. Alone once again with my thoughts as I roamed the halls of the hospital the sound of my footfalls echoed as the salt from my tears stung my eyes. Disoriented as I arose from kneeling in the hospital chapel. Unsure as to when I entered the chapel and how many ticks of the clock have pasted. The only certainties were I had been praying and time had past as evident by the large pool of tears in the chair I had been kneeling against.
Tick. It was time to collect myself. I had to find out if my son still survived and how my wife was recovering. Steeling myself as I departed the chapel with an extraordinary sense of peace as I returned to the N.I.C.U. to discover my son's fate.
The clock continued to tick in the time that I was away and did so for four long months filled with doubts, rage, frustration, and hope.
Tick. Brendyn is released to come home at the end of the four months.
Brendyn is now a happy, healthy, and very active six year old, but there are still times I find myself listening to the ticking of a clock and saying a silent prayer.
Steven A. Robertson
steve.robertson@lmco.com
Send Steven an email and let him know what you thought of his story!
_________________
Steven A. Robertson currently lives in Atlanta, GA with his wonderful wife
Trudy and his sons. Brendyn who is now 7 and William who is 2.
Even though he works for Lockheed Martin he stills continues to
write in his spare time.
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From the E-mail Box!
Michael,
I know I have told you before, but I do just want to say again, how
very much I enjoy the stories, the thoughts, and prayer requests of
others. I pray for these people in need. I think it is a wonderful thing
to know we have such praying, loving and caring people all over the
world. It uplifted me so much this morning, when I came to my computer
and found several email from people who are praying for my mother. It
just blessed me so. It only takes a moment to make someone feel special.
Michael, you have done such a wonderful job with this. I look so forward
every morning to bringing up first..........Straight From the Heart.
Thank you so much,
Sandra Fisher/Eden, NC
scfisher@bellsouth.net
********
Hi Michael,
My sister would like to correspond with a friend between the ages of 14 & 15 (preferably a Christian boy). (She's dictating)
Her name is Jessica, she likes sleeping (as a hobby!), reading,
cooking (she tries) and writing. Could you please try to find someone for
her. She really needs someone that she can relate to. Thank you. God
bless you.
Judy
addoch@yebo.co.za
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Thought For The Day:
"You are never so high as when you are on your knees." --Jean Hodges
Verse for the Day:
"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He shall lift you up."
James 4:10
Kid's Thought For The Day:
"Never turn on a dustbuster and hold your cat at the same time."
Parent's Thought For The Day:
"Parents can plant magic in a child's mind through certain words
spoken with some thrilling quality of voice, some uplift of the heart
and spirit." --Robert Macneil
Coach's Thought For The Day:
"Two good comments to every bad one is a good ratio for coaches.
However, it often times works much better if you can eliminate
the one." --Bill Greer
Deep Thought For The Day:
"Love letters, business contracts and money always arrive three
weeks late, whereas junk mail arrives the day it was sent."
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REQUESTS:
I have a friend who is in jail right now and needs some
strength. He's 21 years old and is in our county jail right now waiting
for a transfer to a rehabilitation center. He's had an extremely rough
life. When he was 5 he saw his mother shoot his father and then turn the
gun on herself. His older brother turned out to be okay and has since gone
on to college, however Larry went down the wrong road and failed to ask for
directions. He's been in lock up since February 15th. I hadn't heard from
him in over a year and then in the middle of March I received a letter out
of the clear blue asking me to pray for him. Deep inside I know how
wonderful he truly is. He's in lock up right now for assaulting his Uncle
(who was his guardian) after his uncle came in drunk and was hitting on his
aunt. (I know this information because his brother filled me in on the
details) I have been writing him everyday to show words of encouragement,
however sometimes I feel I just don't know what to say. I have been
sharing the Word with him and he's been attending a Bible study at the
jail. His brother has commented to me how much he has seen Larry change in
just a few short weeks. There's hope back in his eyes and he can see a
light at the end of the tunnel. I'm asking for prayer for my friend that
he way get through this and for myself so that I may have the encouraging
words that he needs to show him that someone cares and loves him very much.
Thank you so much in advance for your prayers....
Carrie, New Braunfels, TX
cday@quirkco.com
*****
From: jcrawford@coxnc.rr.com (Joe and Deb)
Michael, my dear friends sister has just been diagnosed with colon and ovarian cancer. I would like everyone that receives your e-mail to please pray for her. She will be having surgery very soon and she needs our prayers. Thank-you for posting this for me.
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Dear Michael,
Thank God I have a family who I can turn to.
i have an urgent prayer request. my sister and her husband has been
threatened by a 'rough man' for demand of money. actually my
brother-in-law is in motorcycle business and this man bought a bike from
them only paying RM700.00 as down payment but this man now coming back to
borrow from them RM700.00 saying that he needs the money for his small
business. as my sister and her husband refused to lend him that money he
threatened them and asked them to get the money ready. heard that this man
had been in jail etc. Please pray that our Almighty God to protect my
sister and her husband's family and give them the wisdom to face this man.
And that this man will give up. Please pray for God's intervention.
Sister-in-Christ, MaNar
lhling@pc.jaring.my
*********
Can you please help a desperate Mom in need of advice. I am a Mom of
one lively 3 year old boy. Our biggest concern is his sleep cycle and
fears that he has gotten himself into as a pattern. He absolutely
refuses to go to sleep unless someone is in the room with him. He will
not sleep in his room, he claims the noise of the planes scares him. We
have tried everything from giving in, to letting him scream in his room
for hours. He does not give up at all. So we recently started leaving
his mattress in our room on the floor to go to sleep. Only he still
want's one of us in the room to fall asleep, or he just starts in with
his screaming for hours on end. I'm exhausted, my husband has trouble
dealing with it at all and my son is not getting the sleep that he
needs. Has anyone had these problems with their toddler and if so, is
there any advice you can throw my way. Any and all advice is welcome.
Please e-mail Deb at: Hunsun@ticon.net with your comments.
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_
/_/\/\ MICHAEL T. POWERS
\_\ / THUNDER27@aol.com
/_/ \ "For I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but
\_\/\ \ Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live for the Son
\_\/ of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20
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