Daddy, what's a Deacon&;#063;

It was the saddest day of my life. She was the most brilliantly
alive person I have ever known&;#8230;now she may be gone. She is so
beautiful&;#8230;oh how I love her! Not until the accident did I
realize how much she really means to me and how much I love her. Just
the thought of never seeing her again while I walk this Earth is almost
unbearable. How will I go on without her smile, her laugh, and her
love? God will have to literally dull my heart to keep it from hurting.
I thought breaking a leg was the most painful thing you could
experience&;#8230;until today.

We had just finished dinner and she had to run to the store to buy a
gift for a friend. Amy and I stayed home and worked on homework and
cleaned the dishes. I was almost done with the dishes when the phone
rang&;#8230;it was the police. All I heard was, "Mr. McClelland,
your wife has been involved in an accident. We recommend you come to
the hospital as soon as possible." I was rocked to the very core of my
being. I couldn't reply&;#8230;until I heard my daughter ask me why
I was crying. Tears were streaming down my face&;#8230;little Amy
just wanted to know why daddy was standing there with the phone to his
ear and crying. I managed to mumble a thank you to the officer and hung
up the phone. I grabbed my keys and wallet then Amy and I drove to the
hospital as fast as I dared.

Our town was small enough that when I arrived the receptionist knew
who I was and gave me directions to the ICU. As Amy and I were boarding
the elevators she said she would be praying for Deborah. My mind was
racing&;#8230;what is ICU? What condition was my sweet lady in? How
did that lady know my wife? Please, please God don't take the love of
my life away from me! The tears continued to flow.

When I arrived at the third floor I knew it must have been a horrible
accident. The noise, the shouting, the nurses and doctors were all
rushing around. One of the nurses saw me as I stepped off the
elevator&;#8230;she must have been very experienced. She walked over
and asked me who I was and who I was here to see. She calmly and
politely told me that my wife was in the operating room and that I
should go to the waiting area. She asked if I would like to call
anyone&;#8230;it occurred to me that I didn't know who to call. My
mother was out of town,

Deborah's parents were at work and I didn't have their work phone
numbers. Who could I call? Immediately, a name came to
mind&;#8230;that guy from church that always calls and
visits&;#8230;yeah, I can call James&;#8230;he can help me get
through this horrible situation. I called the church and they had James
paged and told him to call the hospital. Evidently, he didn't even call
the hospital, when the church secretary told him what happened he
dropped what he was doing and came right over. James was always like
that. When I moved to town he rustled up 5 or 6 guys plus himself to
help me with the heavy stuff.

He visits me once every few months to make sure I remember where the
church is&;#8230;or so that is what he always says with a big smile
on his face. But what I most remember about James is the way he really
is interested in my family and me and the way he always prays for us.
Just before he would end one of his visits with us he would tell us how
much he appreciated us and was praying for us and asked if there was
anything he could be praying about until the next visit. Deborah always
asked for prayer for her family and our family and our neighbors.
Deborah was the kindest person in the whole world and never missed a
Sunday at church. I wish I could say the same. The other interesting
thing about James is that his prayers were always so
personal&;#8230;so real&;#8230;like God was sitting right next to
him. It seemed to me that James was just picking up a conversation that
he had recently ended. It was like he and God were friends or
something. Right now I could use a friend that had that kind of
connections.

James was there in less than 20 minutes. He immediately saw my pain
and fear. He asked softly what happened. I told him what happened while
I fought back tears. He told me to wait there while he asked the nurse
some questions and made a phone call. I saw him talking with the nurse
and then speak to someone on the phone.

He came back and said, "Frank, I know your scared and hurting and there
isn't much I can do but I have called some friends so they can start
praying. I recommend you and I do the same."

Right there in that waiting room, James and I with little Amy in
support spoke to James' Friend. I know this may sound
strange&;#8230;but I felt God listening.

After several hours, one of the doctors came in the waiting area and
asked for me. Time stopped. My heart started beating too fast. Please,
please God let her live. James reached over to hold my hand. The doctor
said with all the compassion he could muster that Deborah was badly
injured in the accident but that she would live. He said that she
almost didn't make it through the surgery but that she is stabilized
and doing fine. I asked if I could see her but he said not for a few
more hours until they had her completely stabilized. James thanked the
doctor for me because I was too emotional to respond. All I could think
about was that my Deborah was going to make it! Amy would have a
mother! There is a God and he listens to men like James!

James needed to leave for a while to finish up something at work
before his shop closed. He promised to come back with food and toys. I
told Amy to say thank you to the kind deacon from our church.

Amy in all her innocence said, "Daddy, what's a Deacon?"

Both James and I laughed and then I said, "Honey, deacons are people
who help you when you really need help."

Amy hugged "Mr. Deacon" before he left and thanked him for helping her
daddy stop crying. I thanked James as well before he left. That night
as I sat beside my wife's bed&;#8230;I prayed to the Friend of
James. I thanked Him for helping Deborah and for sending James. I
prayed that "special prayer" that James had asked me to pray a few
times before. Now God is my Friend too.