It was only a few days before Christmas 2007 and my husband Larry had gotten back from Christmas shopping. It had been a big day and we went to bed a bit early only for me to be awaken a few hours later. I could hear my husband was trying to get out of bed and as I turned the lamp on I heard him hit the floor. As I ran to him the slurred speech and lack of movement told me right away he was having a stroke!

As I arrived at the hospital I was met by two doctors. The first one was a specialist in brain injury.  He told me Larry’s stroke was so massive, I should not be too hopeful as he would probably not make it. I had lost my only grandchild a short five months prior to this devastating blow and this was it for me.

I cried out to God, “If You are real (and I no longer think You are), why don’t You help me?”

Larry was still fighting for his life when two men came into his room that night and prayed for him.  Nothing had changed, and as they left I thought, “How useless was that?” We then fell asleep.

I woke a few short hours later to hear talking. As I looked over at Larry, I saw he had somehow turned on the TV and was watching it.  I ran to get a nurse.  When she came in she asked about his pain. It had gone from an unbearable twelve (on a scale of one to ten) to a two!  Larry began to ask for aspirin only.

The doctor who had told me Larry may not make it came in about five hours later. He took one look at Larry and said no cat scan today as all indications are that he is turning around.

Many prayer chains went out for Larry that holiday season as we spent Christmas, my birthday and New Years Eve in the hospital preparing him to come home. Today (almost four years down the road to recovery), Larry is ninety five percent back. He had lost so much brain tissue, his doctor still calls him her Christmas Miracle. Larry has his beautiful smile back and is walking, talking, and driving his own car. He is still working as a computer programmer and loves his job. I have found that when the doctors give up hope, God is the final authority.

I looked up the Greek meaning for stroke and it means “struck down with violence”. I realize now that God did not strike Larry down that day but knew this would be the time to show His miracles to both of us. We will always be grateful for that as our walk in Christ is so very important today. We now give God control over the path He has planned for our lives. To Him Be the Glory.