Through The Storm

Something didn't feel right, but I didn't think much about it as I took Rhonda to the doctor on August 4. It seemed odd that she would have a sinus infection in the middle of the summer but not impossible. I was usually the one to struggle with sinus infections, but according to the doctor, this was all she had, and with a round of antibiotics, she should feel better in no time. We proceeded to list our house for sale and shop for a new one in Georgia. Meanwhile, Rhonda continued to experience headaches that often put her flat on her back for hours at a time. The antibiotics were not working. I called her doctor, and he prescribed another stronger antibiotic and said that he was sure this one would do the trick. After a few more days of taking the new prescription, she felt slightly better. Meanwhile, prospective buyers were coming to look at our house and started making offers. I was pleasantly surprised to find out we could get more than we originally thought for it. The extra money, along with a bonus I had just received, would go a long way toward a down payment on a new house in Georgia. After a week or so of going back and forth, we accepted an offer and slowly began to pack our things in preparation for moving. All the while, Rhonda kept feeling like something didn't feel right in her body, but we both passed it off because she had just been to the doctor, and he could not detect anything wrong except for a normal sinus infection. Looking back, I am amazed at her grace and grit during that last month in Mobile as she worked tirelessly to prepare for our big move. Rhonda's headaches worsened as we got closer to our moving date. We both thought it was probably just the sinus infection and the stress of the move. It is a commonly known fact that stress negatively affects the body, so it was easy to assume that this was at least part of her problem. In the chaos, I tried to get her to return to the doctor or find another doctor for a second opinion. Her answer was always, "I'll be fine. I'm sure I'll be over it soon." Looking back, I regret not being more persistent in getting a second opinion. Here is a fact: We just never know what is going on inside these bodies in which our spirit dwells. You may feel really sick and not actually have anything too serious, or you may feel perfectly well and unknowingly have a terminal disease of some sort. One thing I do know is that most people take good health for granted. As I write this, I can think of several people who are in a fight for their lives with terminal illnesses. The truth is each day is a gift, and we should cherish it as just that. We should be thankful for health and strength to get out of bed every morning and complete the tasks at hand. At the same time, we must be aware of any signs or symptoms of a critical illness in our own bodies and in those we love. They can be so subtle and elusive. Don't ignore them. Go to the doctor, and if that doctor doesn't seem to listen or care and isn't willing to work to determine what's wrong, find another doctor who is. The day finally came: Monday, August 31, 2020. It was also our twenty-fourth wedding anniversary. We had to celebrate it earlier because we knew there would be no way to do so on the day we were moving. We loaded the last few things, then stood in front of our home of eleven years to say our final goodbyes. I looked over at Rhonda. I could see tears in her eyes. I glanced at the boys. They, too, had a sad expression on their faces. I felt terrible about our decision at that moment. Had I made a mistake? I was taking my family away from many good things, including a good church and wonderful friends. Besides that, Rhonda was sick with who knew what. We would have to find new doctors, and knowing her, she would put off doing so for as long as she could. I did not say a word, but at that moment, I wished that somehow I could reverse my decision, but it was too late for that now. I looked back toward the U-Haul truck and purposed that I would make the best of this decision. There was no looking back. We joined hands and prayed together for God's protection on our journey toward our new home. As they loaded up, I walked through the house one last time and thanked God for every moment He had blessed us with in that wonderful little home. When we moved in back in 2009, Jonathan and Ethan were only six and four years old; now they were seventeen and fifteen. A thousand wonderful memories flashed through my mind as I stood in the doorway, looking across the living room. I remembered all the Nerf gun wars with the boys. (Side note: we recovered over a hundred Nerf bullets while packing that we had lost over the years.) I could never forget crawling around the house like a horse with the boys on my back. I remembered all our meals together around the kitchen table and the Christmases we had spent around the fireplace opening gifts. As I looked out the window of the back door, I recalled the birthday parties we had celebrated on the patio and the hours we had spent in the backyard playing ball. All these things flashed through my mind as I stood there, trying to walk away. I finally regained control of my emotions and said one last prayer. I asked God to bless the new family who would soon be moving in, and as I stepped outside and closed the door, I said, "God, I don't know what lies ahead, but I know you'll be there just as you have been here. You've never failed me, and you never will." We then loaded up and pulled away. I was driving the largest U-Haul truck I could find and pulled a trailer behind it that carried my work car. Rhonda drove our SUV with Ethan and Kaden while pulling a trailer full of last-minute stuff, and Jonathan drove his truck while pulling another loaded trailer. Ginger, our golden retriever, rode with me. We were quite the sight. Neither Rhonda nor Jonathan had ever pulled a trailer, and we were traveling hundreds of miles and had to drive through Atlanta to get there. I led the way, and they followed. I'm pretty sure I looked in my mirrors back at them more than the road in front of me. I was a nervous wreck. As we got farther from Mobile and closer to our new home, our sadness dissipated and was replaced with excitement and anticipation. There was still a lot of uncertainty about what lay ahead, but now that we were on our way, there was no looking back. We had closed a wonderful chapter of our lives, and a new chapter was about to begin!