A debt of gratitude...

Yesterday evening the LC, FFA put on a BBQ Fundraiser for me. What a humbling experience to see all these people come. As I mingled from table to table to say thank you to as many people as possible, instead of feeling awkward I felt loved by folks who knew me well, those who knew me little and even those who did not know me at all. Really, what can I say that would express the magnitude of gratefulness? This BBQ marked the end of the long road from May 23rd. It began in company, endured in company and ended in company.

Harvey who sang to me and prayed for me while we waited for the ambulance...
The whole team who prayed, carried and worked to get me out...
Carol who called my family and said what needed to be said when it needed to be said...
The medical staff who gently put all the pieces together...
For Dr. Miller who always brought calm and a moment of his time...
Everyone who came and sat with me in the hospital room...
For Dawn who brought the sunshine every time she came...
Those who built my ramp so I could get in and out...
For all the flowers that filled my room...
For all the meals that we so gratefully ate...
For Elfrieda....too much to list for so much she did...
For My Dad who gently filled our home with his love...
For the money that was given and the notes that were sent...
The emails, the Facebook messages, for the cards...
For my brothers who called...
For the many phone calls from so many who needed to hear me and I needed to hear from...
For the students who prayed and gave...
For the sign in my room...
For the books that Jeff and Anita dropped off...
For Kristi who trimmed my hair and Dawn who washed it...
For the plants from Mrs. Unema's Biology class that are still growing in my yard...
For the ladies that came and sat with me and talked and made me laugh..
For my sister-in-law and father-in-law who made the long drive to check in on me...
For Mijo who stepped up and became...
For Nick who would always do without complaint...
For First Reformed who prayed for me every week...
For everyone who keeps asking if I am ok...
For Gerrit who called and made sure always that we were taken care of...

For my Scott who became my voice of reason, gentle reminder, strong will, silent strength...

And finally, for all who came to the BBQ, for the many hands of my co-workers, for the encouragement, for the effort it takes to put something like this together.

To my Father in Heaven who made the space between heaven and earth a lot thinner...

A debt of gratefulness...