------- Start of forwarded message ------- > > > > > > > > > > > > Subject: Fw: The Smell of Rain > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The Smell of Rain > > > > > > > > > > > > At the end of this story, it gives you two options. I think you will > > > > > > figure out what option I chose. > > > > > > > > > > > > A cold March wind danced around the dead of night in Dallas as the=20 > > > > > > Doctor > > > > > > walked into the small hospital room of Diana Blessing. Still groggy from > = > > > > > > > > > surgery, her husband David held her hand as they braced > > > > > > themselves for the latest news. > > > > > > > > > > > > That afternoon of March 10, 1991, complications had forced Diana, only > > > > > > 24-weeks pregnant, to undergo an emergency cesarean to deliver the > > > > > > couple's new daughter, Danae Lu Blessing. > > > > > > > > > > > > At 12 inches long and weighing only one pound and nine ounces, they > > > > > > already knew she was perilously premature. Still, the doctor's soft > > > > > > words dropped like bombs. "I don't think she's going to make it', he > > > > > > said, as kindly as he could. "There's only a 10-percent chance she > > > > > > will live through the night, and even then, if by some slim chance she > > > > > > does make it, her future could be a very cruel one". > > > > > > > > > > > > Numb with disbelief, David and Diana listened as the doctor described > > > > > > the devastating problems Danae would likely face if she survived. She > > > > > > would never walk, she would never talk, she would probably be blind, > > > > > > and she would certainly be prone to other catastrophic conditions from > > > > > > cerebral palsy to complete mental retardation, and on and on. > > > > > > > > > > > > "No! No!"was all Diana could say. She and David, with their 5-year-old > > > > > > son Dustin, had long dreamed of the day they would have a daughter to > > > > > > become a family of four. Now, within a matter of hours, that dream was > > > > > > slipping away. > > > > > > Through the dark hours of morning as Danae held onto life by the > > > > > > thinnest thread, Diana slipped in and out of sleep, growing more and > > > > > > more determined that their tiny daughter would live-and live to be a > > > > > > healthy, happy young girl. > > > > > > > > > > > > But David, fully awake and listening to additional dire details of > > > > > > their daughter's chances of ever leaving the hospital alive, much less > > > > > > healthy, knew he must confront his wife with the inevitable. David > > > > > > walked in and said that we needed to talk about making funeral > > > > > > arrangements. Diana remembers 'I felt so bad for him because he was > > > > > > doing everything trying to include me in what was going on, but I just > > > > > > wouldn't listen, I couldn't listen. ' I said, > > > > > > "No, that is not going to happen, no way! I don't care what the doctors > > > > > > say; Danae is not going to die! One day she will be just fine, and she > > > > > > will be coming home with us!" > > > > > > > > > > > > As if willed to live by Diana's determination, Danae clung to life hour > > > > > > after hour, with the help of every medical machine and marvel her > > > > > > miniature body could endure. But as those first days passed, a new > > > > > > agony set in for David and Diana. Because Danae's under-developed > > > > > > nervous system was essentially 'raw,' the lightest kiss or caress only > > > > > > intensified her discomfort, so they couldn't even cradle their tiny > > > > > > baby girl against their chests to offer the strength of their love. > > > > > > > > > > > > All they could do, as Danae struggled alone beneath the ultraviolet > > > > > > light in the tangle of tubes and wires, was to pray that God would > > > > > > stay close to their precious little girl. There was never a moment > > > > > > when Danae suddenly grew stronger. But as the weeks went by, she did > > > > > > slowly gain an ounce of weight here and an ounce of strength there. > > > > > > > > > > > > At last, when Danae turned two months old, her parents were able to > > > > > > hold her in their arms for the very first time. And two months later > > > > > > -though doctors continued to gently but grimly warn that her chances of > > > > > > surviving, much less living any kind of normal life, were next to > > > > > > zero. Danae went home from the hospital, just as her mother had > > > > > > predicted. > > > > > > > > > > > > Today, five years later, Danae is a petite but feisty young girl with > > > > > > glittering gray eyes and an unquenchable zest for life. She shows no > > > > > > signs, what so ever, of any mental or physical impairment. Simply she > > > > > > is everything a little girl can be and more-but that happy ending is > > > > > > far from the end of her story. > > > > > > > > > > > > One blistering afternoon in the summer of 1996 near her home in Irving, > > > > > > Texas, Danae was sitting in her mother's lap in the bleachers of a > > > > > > local ballpark where her brother Dustin's baseball team was > > > > > > practicing. As always, Danae was chattering non-stop with her mother > > > > > > and several other adults sitting nearby when she suddenly fell silent. > > > > > > Hugging her arms across her chest, Danae asked, "Do you smell that?" > > > > > > Smelling the air and detecting the approach of a thunderstorm, Diana > > > > > > replied, "Yes, it smells like rain. > > > > > > > > > > > > Danae closed her eyes and again asked, "Do you smell that?" Once again, > > > > > > her mother replied, "Yes, I think we're about to get wet, it smells > > > > > > like rain. > > > > > > Still caught in the moment, Danae shook her head, patted her thin > > > > > > shoulders with her small hands and loudly announced, "No, it smells > > > > > > like Him. It smells like God when you lay your head on His chest." > > > > > > Tears blurred Diana's eyes as Danae then happily hopped down to play > > > > > > with the other children. > > > > > > Before the rains came, her daughter's words confirmed what Diana and > > > > > > all the members of the extended Blessing family had known, at least in > > > > > > their hearts, all along. During those long days and nights of her > > > > > > first two months of her life, when her nerves were too sensitive for > > > > > > them to touch her, God was holding Danae on His chest and it is His > > > > > > loving scent that she remembers so well. > > > > > > > > > > > > You now have 1 of 2 choices. You can either pass this on and let other > > > > > > people catch the chills like you did, or you can delete this and act = > > > like=20 > > > > > > it didn't touch your heart like it did mine. > > > > > > > > > > > > IT'S YOUR CALL! I can do all things in Him who strengthens me (Phil > > > > > > 4:13) > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > > > > > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at=20 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Find the best deals on the web at AltaVista Shopping! http://www.shopping.altavista.com _______ To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe rangernet" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] or visit http://rangernet.org/subscribe.htm http://rangernet.org Autoresponder: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
