by Diana Derringer
“Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you” (Luke 8:39).
“Who lives here?”
“We do,” I said.
“How long have you lived here?”
“We live here together. Remember, I’m your wife.” He then stared until recognition crossed his face.
“When can we go home?”
“We are home. This is where we live now.” Over and over, I gently prodded his memory.
My husband suffered a heart attack, a stroke, a fall resulting in traumatic brain injury, and a lack of oxygen when his heart and lungs stopped functioning on December 10, 2009. Following these, medical staff did not believe he would survive. Miraculously, he did.
Then they anticipated the need for long-term care. Yet in less than four weeks, my husband walked into our home — a home he failed to recognize.
After several days, he began recalling the move to our house, and his questions changed.
“When did we leave the old house?”
“About nine years ago.”
“When are the other people leaving?”
“We’re the only ones here now. Two former university students visited a few days before your fall, but they’re gone now.”
“Where do we keep the soap?” — or shampoo, bowls, or countless other items used daily.
We found them together.
One part of our routine that my husband never questioned was our evening time of Bible reading and prayer. After I finished reading a Bible passage each night, he would clasp my hand in his before we prayed and turned out the lights.
His need for outpatient therapy lasted only a few weeks. My husband quickly progressed from walker to cane to unassisted but supervised care. We continued balance exercises at home for a few weeks. He gradually regained greater independence.
Bit by bit, his memory also returned. My husband went from very long-term and almost no short-term memory to primarily short-term memory loss. For several years, few casual acquaintances would have recognized his memory difficulty as anything more than an ordinary over-fifty hurdle. Those who know us well marvel at God’s mighty work in my husband’s life and the witness that this has provided. We continue to pray that his story, both verbal and written, will point everyone we meet to the great Physician. We want them to know that, whether we experience God’s miraculous physical and mental healing or not, God offers spiritual healing to all.
The summer following my husband’s hospitalizations, we took a short vacation. Although a refreshing change, it also proved exhausting for both of us. As we returned, the closer we came to Kentucky, the more excited we grew. Finally, we crossed the state line, and with joy, my heart echoed his spoken sentiment: “I’ll certainly be glad when we get home.”
Yet that experience pales compared to our rejoicing when we one day cross the threshold of our eternal home. Are you ready to go home? Jesus waits with open arms.
