A miracle happened on our way to city which my mother was in the hospital, not expected to live. It was 300 miles away, and our car broke down, we had to have it towed, and we were stranded...but God...well He had other plans for us.
The miracle that happened the day my mother went to heaven
When I got the call that January day saying Mother was in the hospital and that she was not expected to live, I knew it was her time to go. Quickly, Eddie and I packed and started on our 5-hour trip to San Antonio, hoping we would get there in time to tell her goodbye.
It was January 1994. My mother was 82 years old.
All was well, until we reached the outskirts of Austin. The car broke down and we had to call a tow truck. We rode with the man in the cab of his truck to where he was towing it. We had no idea where to take the car to be fixed. We got out at the place where there were cars everywhere in a large fenced in yard, and a big mean looking junkyard dog began to bark at us.
The man left us and drove off. There was only one man on duty. He was an elderly black man who was the night watchman. We used his phone at the little desk in back of the huge building to call several places. It was about 5:30 PM and too late to take the car to a dealer or mechanic. We had to leave it there until Monday. It was Friday. We were stranded. What to do?
We had just gone through Round Rock, and my niece Beverly and my sister Gerry were going to San Antonio also. I hoped they were still in Round Rock. I called them. They were. They said they would come through Austin and pick us up. It would be an hour or more.
But would Mother live until we got there? I prayed she would wait for us to tell her goodbye.
As the minutes ticked by, I began to get antsy. Anxious to get to the hospital I sat in the car as Eddie chatted with the old black man back in the garage at his desk.
I was praying, “Lord why is this happening? Why are we at this place? You know how anxious I am to see Mother, before it is too late! Now this! All I can do is sit here. And wait. Why?”
I raised my head and stared at Eddie and the old man. Hmmm, was it that man? I heard, “Go talk to him”.
I got out of the car, and walked back into the garage where the two were talking. We talked a bit, and then Eddie went up to the street to watch for Beverly.
As the old man and I chatted, he began to talk about his children, who were all grown, and when I asked about his wife, his eyes got sad.
He said, “I don’t have a wife. Well, I do, but we aren’t together any more”.
When I asked him what he meant, he began to tell me a story. Several years ago, after being married for over 25 years, he discovered his wife was having an affair and that it had been going on for 15 years! It broke his heart. They had been separated or divorced since then. But he had never forgiven her. He was still hurt and angry. I could tell he was heartbroken and bitter and lonely.
My heart went out to him. I asked him if he wanted to forgive her. He said he did, but didn’t know how. I asked him if he had a relationship with God.
We talked a little more and he wanted to accept Jesus in his life, which he had never done. I knew then that this was why this all had happened, the Lord wanted this man to be saved and go to heave. I called Eddie over and told him that the old man wanted to be saved. So Eddie and I led him in the prayer of salvation and as he prayed with us, the old man began to weep.
As he went through forgiveness to his wife and asking God to forgive him for his sins, which included the hatred and rage and anger he had toward his wife, the old man broke down and cried his heart out. He was beaming and happy and excited when all this was finally over.
When Beverly finally arrived, and I turned to go, the old man hugged me so hard, and said, “Thank you, thank you. You don’t know how much you have helped me. And I thank God He sent you here today.”
We got in the van with our family and headed to San Antonio. I had a peace in my heart, because I knew everything was going to be all right.
When we got to the hospital in San Antonio, we opened the door to Mother’s room. I was amazed. The room was full of people! The scene was not one of death and darkness. It was one of joy and celebration. Mother lay in the hospital bed, with her eyes closed. There were a few family members gathered around the bed, holding her hand and talking softly to her. But there were more family gathered in the room, a big bucket of Fried Chicken on the table as they ate and laughed and talked together. There were children laughing and talking and playing in the room. The TV turned on loudly which no one was watching. It was amazing!
This was a family reunion. Children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren were all gathered together to tell Bertie Lee Zook goodbye. She was where she wanted to be, surrounded by her family, all having a good time together, loving each other.
I walked over to the bed, and leaned down and said softly, “Mother, it’s Lois. I’m here. Can you hear me?”
She opened her eyes, and smiled and said, “Yes, I’m so glad you are here, honey.”
There was a phone call for her; it was her granddaughter Kristi, our daughter, and calling to say she loved her. She talked to her for a minute. She knew who Kristi was and said she loved her too. Other family members were calling on the phone to tell her they loved her. Each time she would smile and talk softly.
We all got to say goodbye, all those from Round Rock who had saved Eddie and me from being stranded, and got there in time to see her, as we hugged her and kissed her and told her we loved her.
Slowly the family began to go home, as she lingered on into the night. It was the four sisters, her four daughters who stayed by her side to the end. The next few hours we sat quietly by her bedside and prayed and sang praises and hymns together; her favorite, “Surely the Presence of the Lord is in This Place”, plus “The Old Rugged Cross” and “When the Roll is Called Up Yonder”, among others. It was a sweet time with Mother and the Lord.
Slowly in the early morning hours, she slipped away and the time had come. She went home to be with Jesus. Now it was time to celebrate. I look back on that day, and it was one of the saddest and the happiest days of my life. I learned that if I try to see God in every circumstance and ask Him to guide me, everything would turn out all right.
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The miracle that happened the day my mother went to heaven
