Intensive Care Unit
As I surveyed the walls around me, I realized I survived and I was obviously in an ICU room somewhere. Did my baby make it? Was the other driver hurt? I tried to move. My body was strapped to the bed, my neck was in a brace, and I was connected to a respirator. What happened to me? Am I paralyzed? I want to see my family. At that moment, my sister entered the room. She leaned over and started speaking wonderful things to me, but…but…no one had answered my questions. I could not speak. Oh, yes! Brenna, my sister, and I learned to sign the alphabet as children. Our deaf cousin taught us. Brenna noticed my fingers moving on the side of my bed.
“No one told you. Avery is alive! No! You are not paralyzed. They are just going to run more tests on you.”
Relief. Joy. Anxiousness. I wanted to go home now. I signed some more questions. “Brenna, how do I look?”
Being a loving sister, she did not lie. “You look pretty bad, Brooke.”
With absolute frustration that she did not make up something, like “beautiful,” I shamefully signed to my sister, “shut-up.” She ran out of the room crying. Brenna later told me that it was at that moment that she had peace that I was going to be okay. What can better reflect the unconditional love of the Lord toward us than the love of family?
Brooke, recovering well, and little Lindy
Entering the room next, my dear friend and neighbor and the wife of the music minister from our church brought the love of Christ. Being deaf, my friend also interpreted easily my finger spelling. From Angela, I learned much of the story of the accident…permitted by my Sovereign God. After blowing through a stop sign and driving straight into my lane, the other motorist walked away uninjured. She attempted to lie at the accident scene, was the same age as me (29), and she did not profess a relationship with Jesus Christ. For some reason, I repeated this question to everyone, “Does that lady know Jesus?”
Once the doctors of Duke University Medical center spoke with me, they conveyed that I would be in recovery for a long time and in the hospital for weeks or even months. My nose was concave, and my right foot was crushed with the surgery required likened to putting together pieces of a puzzle. The medical team also told me I may never walk without assistance, but my age, not being a smoker, or a drinker, all helped. People everywhere prayed. Letters poured into the hospital from around the world. Within two weeks, I left the hospital on crutches, without Avery at this time. But my healing accelerated. God answered prayers! Within 6 months, I danced in a recital with a group of ladies in an act of worship to God. One year later, I water-skied. Now, I must confess, I would not attempt skiing again, but I did it once…to the glory of God!!!! God chose to heal me, for His purposes, and His plans. But what about Avery? What did God choose for her? What would be next for Avery?
Avery Christian Stark
Dear friends, God is a mighty Deliverer. Jesus is Healer. He heals today. “The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him” (Nahum 1:7). Please persist in prayer because God displays His power through our prayers. Sometimes, our prayers are not answered in the way that we desire, but sometimes our magnificent God “who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine,” (Ephesians 3:20) answers prayers in ways we could never foresee. Do not stop praying for that seemingly impossible situation.
Hello! I'm Brooke.
