I love everything about the beginning of the school year - school supplies, school clothes, the smells, the sounds, everything! As an educator, there's an excitement about getting a do over every single year. As I posted the class lists at our school today, I could just imagine the faces coming through the front door of our school, anticipating what the new year would bring them.
Then it hit me. This time last year.... I was just beginning a new adventure as an administrator. I loved my job and was anxious to begin the year in my new position. The first full week of school was great, but especially the first two days with students. I loved going from classroom to classroom, meeting the new fifth graders, checking in with them, seeing how they were enjoying the new middle school. On Friday evening, I was exhausted. My husband, Charley, and I made our weekly trip to Costco. That's one of our favorite things to do. He had a class reunion the next day and we bought a huge tray of cookies to take. I can still remember the trip to Costco. But the morning after was what I will never, ever forget.
Charley was an avid cyclist. He started riding through a small group at our church, Church of the Highlands. He rode with a friend, Kent, nearly every Saturday. This Saturday was no exception. They would meet early and ride for several hours. However, this week, they chose a different route than they usually rode. Charley would always wake me up before he left and tell me he loved me. This time he didn't and that would be huge later. I remember waking up around 8 am, getting coffee, and settling in with HGTV. A knock on the door startled me at 8:30. As I type this, my heart is pounding just remembering those moments. A sheriff's deputy was at the door and I remember thinking, "What has Will done?" (sorry Will) The deputy asked me if I was related to John Charles Johnson and proceeded to tell me that he had been seriously injured while riding his bicycle that morning; he had been hit by a car and was in the trauma unit at UAB. I wish I could tell you that my body went into auto pilot and that I don't remember anything else, but I vividly remember everything. My phone rang instantly and it was Denise, Kent's wife. I remember brushing my teeth (why?) and almost leaving the boys. I ran down the stairs and they were coming out of their rooms. They said that they could tell by my footsteps that something was wrong. We went and picked up Denise and left for the hospital. All of this happened in a matter of 10 minutes. Our lives changed in 10 minutes.
God knew this day was going to happen. He knew what we needed. He knew that two days after school started that I would miss over a month of work. He knew that my husband, the love of my life, would come very close to Heaven that day. He was ready. I was not. He was there with me when I walked into the emergency room at UAB and never left my side for the next 40 days. He was always there and still is. I learned more about myself and my dependence on God in those 40 days than I ever thought I would.
I decided to write this blog as a way to heal and as a way to share the many miracles we experienced throughout Charley's recovery. It hasn't always been pretty, but God has shown up huge! You see, our church was in the 21 Days of Prayer, and I thought God would heal Charley immediately. Well, he had a lot He wanted to show me in the process. I can't wait to share it with you.
