Page 35 of Echoes of Eternity
CHAPTER 9
Walking back into her classroom after dropping off her second graders for music class, Emily sat down at her desk. Grading journal entries from that morning, she flipped through each student’s notebook, but her mind was elsewhere that afternoon. Ryan was back to being cold and distant. He had left that morning without even giving her a kiss goodbye. Her heart longed for stability, for her husband to be whole again, yet she saw no way through. With the constant shifts in mood, the desire to focus on those outside the family while neglecting those within his house, she just couldn’t imagine how God could fix it all. But she knew trusting God was the only thing she could do.
Her cellphone buzzed on her desk.
Glancing over, she saw it was Jason.
Something wasn’t right, she sensed it. He never called her.
She answered, “What’s wrong?”
“You need to get to the hospital now.”
Panic filled her as she stood. “What happened? What’s going on?”
“It’s Ryan. He was in a car accident.”
“No!” Numbness ran from her head to her toes. “What happened?”
“Just get here! He’s in surgery right now.”
Packing her belongings with trembling hands, she wept as she begged God to let her husband be okay. Suddenly, all the concerns she had about him melted away in an instant. The only thing that mattered was getting to him.
Shaking as she walked into the school office, she went past the receptionist and right into the principal’s office without knocking and interrupted a meeting.
“What’s wrong, Emily?” Sarah stood from behind her desk.
“Ryan’s in the hospital and I don’t know if he’s going to be okay. Is it alright if I leave?”
“Of course. We’ve got you covered here. Go to your husband!” Placing an arm around her shoulders, Sarah walked with her out of the office and out to the parking lot.
“He’s in surgery. We got into an argument yesterday and I just don’t want him to die without?—”
Sarah stopped her with a hand going up. “He won’t die, Emily. I can feel it. God’s got this, girl. Let me pray with you.”
She nodded and wiped her tears as she trembled and lowered her head.
Placing a hand on her shoulder, Sarah prayed. “God, we lift Ryan up to You right now. We come to the throne room of You, the Creator and Sustainer of our lives. We ask You, God, to spare this man. Not for our glory, but for Your glory, God. Let this situation work out Your will in Emily and Ryan’s life. I pray this in Your Heavenly and perfect name, Lord Jesus. Amen.”
As she got into the car a moment later, she rolled the window down and looked toward Sarah. “The kids! What do I do?”
“I’ll bring them to my house. Just go.”
“Thank you so much.” Shutting the car door, Emily made her way across town to the hospital.
She arrived in the surgery’s waiting room, and Jason rushed over to her, tears running down his face. “I’m so sorry, Emily . . .”
“What’s wrong?” Her stomach somersaulted. She touched her hand to his chest as she shook her head and asked, “He’s okay, right?”
Frowning, he held out his hands. “They just came out and said the surgery went well, but he had trouble coming out of anesthesia. They can’t wake him up.”
Collapsing, Emily reached out to grab hold of something, Jason catching her. “This can’t be happening . . .”
Jason sobbed and shook his head. “Let’s pray.”
Bowing her head, she never felt a prayer so strong in her heart and life.
He began with a tremble in his voice. “God . . . Please don’t take my brother away from me. I need him in my life. Emily needs him, the kids need him.” His words failed to keep going for a moment, then he continued. “God, You are sovereign, You are good, You are king of my life and the life of this family. For Your name’s sake, let Ryan live. Amen.”