MERCY

This week I have been thinking of all the things I am thankful for. Of course, I could readily list my family, my friends, my health, my precious spouse, my faith, our traveling lifestyle. However, as I recently sat with my son Matt, his wife Deb, and their kids, Kate, Nate, and Caleb, I couldn't help but think of October 24, 1987.

It was a quiet Saturday morning. I was just finishing my Bible reading and slowly sipping a cup of tea when the phone rang and abruptly ended my reverie.

"The baby's coming!" announced the voice on the other end of the telephone line. I hurried upstairs to tell my husband Glen. "You're going to be a grandpa today!"

Glen and I hurried to get dressed. We gathered up a few personal items in case we had to stay overnight, and we were soon on our way.

During the two-hour drive to our son's town, we silently prayed for our daughter-in-law Debbie and for Matt. Occasionally we talked about the changes that were coming. We were going to be grandparents. What fun!

As we walked into the hospital, Glen proudly asked directions to the maternity waiting room and we were directed to the fourth floor. As we stepped off the elevator, we paused for a moment trying to figure which way to turn, and a young man from our son's church walked up to us.

"Mr. and Mrs. Heavilin, I'm here to take you to Matt. The baby has been born but there were some complications in delivery. Matt is in ICU watching the doctors. They're working with the baby because they're not sure she'll live."

I learned that there was a prolapsed cord which caused our precious little Kate (Katherine Nate') to suffer a great deal. Later that evening as I stood outside the NICU, peering through the glass window, watching Matt stroke that tiny little girl, bits of statements swirled through my head, severe brain damage; may not live through the night; seizures. Mostly I was thinking, How in the world did I get here, and where in the world is God? A woman standing next to me, asked quietly "Do you have a baby in there?"

I answered, "Yes, my granddaughter." Then I asked, "How about you? Do you have a baby in there?"

She answered, "Yes, a little boy. He's going home tomorrow!"

I silently thought, Well, at least some of them get better and they get to go home.

Then the lady asked a surprising question. "You're a Christian, aren't you?"

My answer of "Yeah, I guess so" contained so many hidden thoughts and feelings such as "A lot of good it has done me to be a Christian. I have buried three sons, and now I'm probably going to face another funeral. Does God even care?"

The lady continued the conversation by asking, "Have you prayed for Kate?"

You have got to be kidding! Of course, I have prayed, but a lot of good it has done! I'm outside of an NICU hoping my grandchild will live through the night, but what condition will she be in if she does live?

I answered, "I'm not sure how to pray right now. How did you pray?"

She said, "Oh honey, I just prayed for Mercy. Whatever is merciful; that's what I want for my child. Pray for Mercy for Kate.

As we were driving back to Redlands in the middle of the night, I stumbled on to the verse in Psalm 103 which says something like this, The Lord will show MERCY to the righteous and to their children's children! That verse was MINE. All I could pray was MERCY, Lord, MERCY!

The next morning as we arrived back at the hospital, the report was that Kate seemed to be a little better. MERCY! I asked the nurses to help me find the lady whose little boy was being released that morning. They looked perplexed and stated, "We don't have any little boys, let alone one that is being released today!"

OK, you figure it out. My personal belief is that God saw my broken and confused heart. He reached out to me and allowed an angel to minister to me in my deepest need.

Kate continued to progress. She went home in ten days and it didn't take me long to realize that God had blessed us with a wonderful and brilliant child.

Last night I listened to her talk with her dad about working on her Master's degree in counseling. Kate will graduate from Kansas State University in December, majoring in Psychology with a 3.94 GPA and she will finish her work at Manhattan Christian College in January with a major in Bible and a 4.0 GPA.

The Lord has certainly been merciful to my children's children and I am thankful.

Marilyn Heavilin