Sometimes I think that miracles are common place to me. I think that almost every time I go to the temple, there is something that coincidentally happens to show me the Lord is in the details. There is the time when I grabbed a handful of names from the credenza in the temple to use for initiatory work. Then, when a patron asked to use names, I pulled 6, not 5...like I was supposed to, but 6. Turns out the 6th name was from her family tree and she had been searching to find who had that name, and there it was. She was in tears.
But on the 25th of October, perhaps one of the greatest miracles Michael has performed happened. We had traveled to San Antonio to surprise his mother for her 92nd birthday. Turns out the surprise was on us, because she was never home due to being in and out of doctors, emergency rooms, etc. due to complications from a previous bladder procedure, gone wrong.
Nevertheless, we were able to finally see her the night before her birthday. Carol answered the door: "Susan, it's so good to see you."--to keep the surprise going.
We walked in and she stared at us, not recognizing that we weren't Susan, until Mike went right up to his mom and stared at her. She looked at him quizzically, and stammered, "What are you doing here?"
After we finished up watching the end of a paused, Jeopardy, Louise came in to her chair in the living room, commenting on her pitiful apparel. (She was wearing a plaid top with a wild, 60's floral pattern on her pants.) She complained of being nauseous, but didn't want a throw up bowl. She just wanted to lay down and sleep, but Carol said it was too early and kept waking her up as she dosed off and on.
Carol brought a large file box of her mother's papers into the living room to go through it with all of us there, announcing all the information she found. There were her mother's report cards, Army retirement papers, letters, etc. Every once in awhile, Louise would wake up and interject a comment.
At one point, we heard an audible rush of air whir from her throat. I didn't look up, as I thought it was snoring (which she does on occasion) but both Mike and Carol rushed up to her face. Carol took her head in her hands, trying to wake her up by moving her head and tapping her on her cheeks. Nothing. She yelled at her mother to wake up. Nothing. "Mom. Mom. Not like this. This can't be how. Mom," she pleaded and wailed. She quit the rough handling of moving her head, and softly stroked her mother's cheek. "I love you, mother," she managed with a softer voice, almost in resignation that it was done...her mother had passed.
But, then Carol continued to try, giving her some puffs of air through the mouth. Nothing. "Check her pulse, Mike." she shouted, as she gave her mother another puff of air.
Mike, felt it his mom's wrist, but said he didn't know what he was feeling "...if it is my own pulse or her's?"
It had been about two minutes with all outward signs that she was dead. Carol, then snapped from the devastated, emotional daughter, to the nurse. "Michael, give her a blessing. Karen, call 911!" she commanded.
Michael immediately stood and placed his hands on his mother's head. I wondered if he would anoint. He didn't. He didn't even pronounce her name. He just said, "Mom." and then continued the blessing, as I quickly made the decision to use the land line phone. I heard him talking about her being wrapped in arms of love...and I thought, 'Of course! She is in Heaven.' Then I took the phone, pressed the talk button, but realized I shouldn't be the one to call 911 because I didn't know where we were so I handed Carol the phone.
Mike was continuing the blessing. I hadn't heard much until the words, "You will get well again." I was shocked. Hadn't he said she was with arms of love wrapped around her? What was he saying now? How could he say she was going to be well again if she had been dead about three minutes?
Carol was now talking loudly to the 911 operator. Suddenly, startling us all, Mike's mom opened her eyes and started breathing. Mike took his hands off her head wondering what to do and Carol then told the operator that her mom was now breathing. Mike put his hands back on his mom's head to finish the blessing, but I didn't hear a word because Carol was talking to the operator in just as loud, (if not louder) voice, and I was listening to her to see what would happen with that call.
Mike's blessing finished and so did Carol's phone call. The EMTs were coming anyway to check her out.
At that point. Her mother kept pushing Carol's hands away and telling to get away and not touch her. She complained about being hot. Carol turned on the air conditioner and directed Mike to get a washcloth with water to put on his mom's forehead and back of her neck. All this time, Mike's mother was complaining about being hot and nauseous...and for Carol to quit touching her. (Carol was now taking her blood pressure and pulse.) Carol, then directed Mike to go out front and flag down the EMTs, who came shortly.
The EMTs got information from Carol, and Louise went through a couple bouts of throwing up. After that, it seemed as if she was going to be OK. The EMTs kept suggesting she go to the hospital and Louise kept declining, then she sat up straight and said, "What I need right now is for Mike to give me a blessing."
Carol and I both responded, "He already did."
"No, he didn't, " his mother answered.
I realized, Louise had no memory of what had happened. I looked at her straight in the eyes and said, "You were dead. You were gone for 2-3 minutes. You weren't breathing. You weren't responding. Mike gave you a blessing that you would be well again and then you started breathing."
She looked at me with a question in her eyes. "Huh?"
The EMTs finally convince Louise to go to the hospital.She glanced at those floral pants she was wearing and exclaimed, "I can't go to the hospital dressed like something from Halloween!"
I grinned. I knew she would be all right and that she had her wits about her with that comment.
Yes, she did go to the hospital...and came home that night. Yes, we did celebrate her 92nd birthday the next day, and although she seemed a bit wary and reticent, she was on her way to being her old self again.
I have wondered, as I tried to think what really happened. 'Was she just having a sleep apnea episode and I thought the time was longer than it was?' Then I remember Mike's episodes... how I could shake him and he'd instantly awake. She didn't. She was out. She was gone long enough for me to know she could not go that long without a breath. I know it was a miracle. I am so grateful that we were there. I am so grateful that Mike could, in an instant, be worthy enough have the power in the Priesthood to call upon God to resuscitate his mother. What a blessing the Priesthood is. What a blessing to have a worthy Priesthood holder...and for him to be there when he was needed!
