Then God Said To Me: "I Have Him"

We know that he was standing near the top of the ladder trying to cut off the problem limb. Being a fireman, Butch knows about ladder safety, so I doubt that he was standing too far at the top of the ladder. We suspect the saw got caught and kicked-back, knocking Butch backward. Kevin didn't see him fall, but he saw him land. He fell fifteen feet and landed on his head and left shoulder. The chain saw he was using landed on his chest, and the limb he was cutting landed on top of that. Kevin cleared that off immediately and ran to get me.

We live right next to the fire protection district where my husband is a fireman, so the first responders that came to our house that day were not from the department where he serves. However, we are very close communities and the men all are a part of a close-knit brotherhood. Everyone knows everyone. There was not one person who responded to our house that day who did not know Butch extremely well. Some were family friends. Some were former students of his. Some he know because the fire and police departments that serve our house also serve the school district from where Butch had just retired. While we were waiting for help to come, my neighbor across the street who had experience as an EMT, ran to assess the situation. She knelt at Butch's head, held him in C-spine position, and began talking to him, even though he was unconscious. I honestly thought he was dead. He looked dead. And if he wasn't dead, it was apparent that he was severely, even gravely injured. It looked as if his spine was broken by the way he was twisted. I looked at him, looked at Kevin who at this time appeared to be in shock, and said: "Oh Kevin, this is bad..this is really, really bad, isn't it?" Kevin was unable to speak, but tears were welled in his eyes, and he simply nodded his head.

I knew I needed to call our kids - Joe, Tiffany and Kristi. I was standing next to Butch when I made the first call, barely remembering how to find the number in my contacts. It's funny how we never memorize phone numbers any more. I punched in Joe's name. He answered on the second or third ring. I told him that his dad had fallen from a tree and it was very, very bad. At this time I still thought Butch was dead. Apparently that's the message I communicated to Joe without saying as much. The tone of my voice said volumes. I asked him to make the other necessary phone calls because I didn't think I could. I made one more call to Tiffany because I knew she was the closest to our house at the time, and I needed her.

I turned back toward where Butch was laying. It was at that point that something rose up in me. He had just retired a month before. We had three kids with spouses and four grandkids. We had plans. We were convinced God had plans for us. This is not what was supposed to happen. I couldn't do this alone. I needed him. I took a deep breath and said "NO!". I knelt next to my husband's mangled-looking body, laid hands on him and prayed, "In the name of Jesus, I ask, God, that you touch my husband's body right now and bring healing. Please lord...touch my husband!" I don't know who else was actually in my yard at this time besides Kevin and our neighbor Leslie who was holding Butch's head. Several neighbors were there when they took him away, but I'm not sure when they arrived. Immediately after I cried out to God, those who were there witnessed Butch slowly begin to groan and move both arms and both legs, slightly, but was obviously in agonizing pain. When we later learned the extent of his injuries, it was no wonder. I asked him if he knew who I was. Through very labored breathing he whispered my name. He moved his arms. He moved his legs. He said my name. God is good and there was hope. It was a miracle.

When the fire department and the ambulance arrived, the slow motion stopped and everything became a whirlwind. When Tiffany turned onto our street and saw all of the rescue vehicles, she parked far enough away so that our grandson Logan, who was almost eleven at the time, wouldn't see what she feared to be reality - his Pawpaw laying on the ground, dead. Leaving Logan in the car, she ran toward the scene. When she got to our yard, I grabbed onto her and held tightly. They were getting ready to move Butch onto a backboard for transport, so I went into the house to grab the necessary insurance cards, my purse, a sweater and a phone charger. Even through the fear and disbelief of what had happened, I was able to think how amazing it was that I was clear-headed enough to grab all of these things. I didn't see them load Butch onto the backboard and the ambulance, but Tiffany did. Later she told me that what she saw convinced her that there was no way Butch could survive. When they lifted him on the backboard to carry him to the ambulance, Tiffany saw that the left side of Butch's chest was caved in. She didn't tell me what she saw, but was obviously extremely upset. Her thoughts at this moment were "Oh God, please don't make my mom go through this AGAIN".