Chapter 6
After having endured a two hour long MRI, and trying to eat some of the food brought to him as supper, which this time was not as bad as it was before, Max endured a bed bath, of three female nurses as they were the night staff.
Later, Max and Carolyn spent a couple of hours chatting over a WhatsApp call - she found out about this from him and installed it. They shared their likes and dislikes, their dreams, about their families. Carolyn shared about her charities and what life would be like as a royal.
Max, having earlier made the promise video call to his little princess at bedtime, to read her a story, he and Carolyn dropped their call and he video called his daughter.
With the nurse having left the bed trolley table for him to use, he angled his phone just right and made up a story about a man meeting a princess on the beach – basically using his meeting Carolyn but leaving out the bad ugly parts. He was hoping this would slowly encourage her to eventually see Carolyn as part of the family and prepare her for the future.
Around 10H30 that night Max noticed Carolyn was trying not to yawn during their video call and decided it was time for her to go to sleep. After wishing a good night with a few air kisses, he hung up. Using the remote, he lowered his bed a bit and lay there, staring at the ceiling for a bit. The TV, that was mounted in the ceiling, was off and he could see his own reflection in it.
"Lord," he spoke out loud. "Am I doing the right thing? Is this your will? Is this the answer to my many prayers that I have been sending you over the last 6 plus months? I don't want to doubt you, nor question you ever, but I must be sure it is You, Lord, that is sending me these blessings and not a trick of the Devil. Especially when it can hurt Ashley and I know you don't want her to be hurt again, after the loss of her mother. Lord, I do not too and will never blame you for taking her away from us. I know it was meant to be and was written in her life book. But please Lord, hold me, guide me, show me the correct way, confirm I am on the right path. I beg of you."
Max lay in the bed silent for almost an hour when suddenly a message came on his phone.
He picked it up, unlocked it and saw it was from someone he didn't know and read:
Matthew 4: "You are blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you."
Psalm 32:8 The LORD says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you."
Max had no idea who this was and tried to look up the number. But found the number showed +463 and nothing else. Something made Max type the number out on his phone. The instant as he started to type the numbers, he noticed that the number 4 was also 'G', 6 was a 'O' and 3 was a 'D', amongst other letters.
There and then, he knew he had his confirmation. Max started to cry, weeping of release of stress, thankfulness of knowing He was with him, holding his hands. Suddenly, the old poem of 'Footprints in the Sand' flashed in Max's mind, and he quickly looked it up on his phone.
Footprints in the Sand
One night I dreamed a dream. I was walking along the beach with my Lord. Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonging to me and one to my Lord.
When the last scene of my life shot before me I looked back at the footprints in the sand. There was only one set of footprints. I realized that this was at the lowest and saddest times of my life. This always bothered me and I questioned the Lord about my dilemma.
"Lord, You told me when I decided to follow You, You would walk and talk with me all the way. But I'm aware that during the most troublesome times of my life there is only one set of footprints. I just don't understand why, when I need You most, You leave me."
He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you, never, ever, during your trials and testings. When you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."
Max knew now why he found the beach so calming and healing and knew now his spirit was healing too and growing stronger. Thanking the Lord he shot of a quick message to Carolyn 'I love you and will always love you, I know now and have had confirmation you are my new path, my new blessing and I know He will guide and protect us all. xxx' then he put his phone down and at midnight closed his eyes to sleep a new happy man.