PW (Part 2)

When we lived in Ohio we attended church one day and the lesson was on sin and punishment. One man decided to make our family an example. He stated, in front of everyone, that the reason Pat was sick and our family was having problems was because we were sinners. Needless to say the hackles on the back of my neck stood up. The rest of the people proceeded to tell him he was wrong. The next week we had church leaders from Cleveland visiting and I'll be doggoned but he did it again. This time even the church leaders told him that was not true and he should not be making statements like that. The third week, believe it or not, he was giving a talk and it was as if he were addressing our family only. In front of God, congreation and everyone else he once again said we were sinners and that was why we were having problems. I could have exploded. I later told my wife that if I did not believe the gospel to be true I would not set foot in that church again.

Enough said on that. When we knew that Pat was going to be operated on in a few days we were in a great turmoil. The doctors were giving him a 50-50 chance of surviving and that was being liberal. At the time I was working for Pepsi-Cola as a route driver. I was driving home from my route in Berthoud, CO and of course thinking about Pat's situation when I had a vision (if you will) of Pat lying in a powder blue coffin with a beautiful picture of the Grand Teton mountains behind it. It was so distinct and clear that it caused me to wonder about it for quite some time.

The day before his operation I got permission to take him to Stapleton airport where we could watch the planes come and go. This was a favorite pasttime of mine and he enjoyed being with me when ever he could. We often would go to the local airport and watch the planes. As I look back now it was another item that should have convinced me that the prognosis was not good. What hospital and doctor lets a patient go do something like that the day before the operation? We had a great time that day.

The next morning we got up about 6:00 am and prepared for the coming operation. I was in scrubs so I could go with him to the operating prep room and of course the nurses had been in doing their thing with Pat. About 7:30 the surgeon came in to check him. He spent a couple of minutes talking to him, checked him out and said, "Looks like we are all ready." He then left the room and closed the door behind him. Pat was on the floor lying down, which was something the nurses never did get used to. He liked the cold floor so they just said okay. As he was lying there he suddenly looked up to his Mother and held out his arms. Cheryl picked him up and he gave her the biggest hug I had ever seen. After a couple of moments with his Mom he held out his arms to me. I took him and held him and he did the same thing to me. As he was holding me I felt his little body go very ridgid. I jerked him back and looked into his eyes and I could tell immediately what had happened............. He had died! I have hunted and killed enough animals to know the death look in the eyes.

I yelled for the doctor who was just standing outside the door and I think all of Denver heard me. Immediately there were doctors and nurses and machines all over the place. We were ushered out of the room but could still see what was going on. They tried to save him but it was to no avail. We stood there in shock. You can expect things like this but when it actually happens you find you are never really prepared for it.

Being a religious man I believe in the workings of the spirit. It was not 5 minutes from the time that Pat had died then who should come walking down the corridor but our church leader. He was visiting in Denver and just felt like coming over to see how things were going. We needed him right then and were grateful that he was there.

Tomorrow I will finish the story of PW but today I want to close with this. We never seen Pat's body after the time that the doctors took over. He was to be buried in Idaho and the hospital took over, made all the arrangements for transfer and we proceeded to drive from Denver to my home of Driggs, Idaho.

The night before the acutal funeral we had a viewing for our friends and relatives. I had never been inside the funeral home in Driggs so that night was the first time for me and the first time since he died that I had seen Pat. As I entered the room where his body lay I beheld him lying in a powder blue casket with a big beautiful mural of the Grand Teton mountains right behind him. Do you think the Lord was preparing me? I do.