Through Stormy Waters: God's Peace in Life's Storms

By Fred Davis

WHERE IS GOD WHEN THE WORST HAPPENS?

When a yellow school bus rolled into Fred Davis, pinned him against another car and dragged him forty feet through gravel, he sustained multiple life-threatening injuries. His spinal cord damage prompted a neurosurgeon to predict years of hospitalization and painful rehabilitation. The athletic 46-year-old Presbyterian minister was stunned to overhear, “He may never walk again.” Fred’s faith was put to the test as his carefully mapped out future was put on hold.

Through Stormy Waters: God’s Peace in Life’s Storms tells a story of survival, subsequent recovery and a life resumed. Fred and his wife Judy transparently share their emotions, struggles and the assaults on their faith. Honest, hope-filled and faith building, the Davis’ account of God’s peace in a time of turmoil will encourage others experiencing the storms of life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fred Davis
• Release date: May 31, 2013
• ISBN: 9781624800702

Fred Davis

Judy and I have been married 41 years. We both recently retired - she from a career in education and me from 35+ years of ministry in the Presbyterian Church. Since 1998, we have lived in Enumclaw, Washington but now divide our time between our home in Surprise, Arizona and our boat on Commencement Bay in Tacoma, WA. Aside from cruising Puget Sound aboard "Providence," our 41' power boat, we also love to spend time with our families. Kresta, married to Ryan has two sons - Sam and Joseph. They live in Surprise, AZ. Melissa, married to Jerry lives in Des Plaines, IL with Davis. In retirement, Judy plans on continuing to be involved in education in some way - substitute teaching, helping out in a church, etc. Fred plans on doing some pulpit supply preaching. They both want to travel, continue their volunteer work with Healing Place School in Zambia and get involved with missions in Mexico.

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Through Stormy Waters

God’s Peace In Life’s Storms

Fred & Judy Davis

Through Stormy Waters: God’s Peace In Life’s Storms

Copyright © 2013 by Fred and Judy Davis. All rights reserved.

First Smashwords Edition: May 2013

ISBN: 978-1-62480-068-9

Published by BookJolt, LLC, PO Box 1619, Auburn, WA 98071.

This eBook is licensed for the personal enjoyment of the original purchaser only. This eBook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this eBook and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Acknowledgments

There are too many—far too many—who deserve acknowledgment and thanks to name here.

The countless prayer warriors who from the very first minutes following the accident lifted Judy, our family and me before the feet of Jesus in intercessory prayer;

The close friends who sacrificed nights of sleep to stay at my bedside through the torturous, long nights;

The medical personnel who did their jobs with incredible skill, patience, compassion and dignity. In particular, we are ever indebted to the ER trauma team on duty that night and to Dr. Bruce San Filippo, the neurosurgeon whose skill, knowledge and friendship made such a huge difference in our lives;

The members of Northminster Presbyterian Church who surrounded us with prayers, concrete assistance, moral support and spiritual inspiration;

The members of Calvary Presbyterian Church in Enumclaw who also prayed fervently and reassured us that they still wanted us to come to serve—no matter how long it might take;

The many loving and skilled therapists who were willing to patiently work with me all the way from not being able to lift a half-pound weight to getting me back on my feet with a semi-normal gait; particularly, Greg Goldblatt, who also became a close Christian brother and Stuart Jones, who, along with his staff provided a regimen and an atmosphere of positive encouragement to lift, strain, pedal and flex, even after our insurance said it would no longer assist us financially with rehab;

Athena Dean of BookJolt whose editorial wisdom helped us find different words and phrases, more succinct, graphic or compelling ways to tell this story and helped us get it into print;

Nancy Weiland, who patiently and tirelessly made sense of and typed the manuscript;

Of course, my dear family: Judy, whose tireless and loving presence sustained and continues to inspire and sustain me; Kresta and Melissa, without whose love and support we could not even begin to imagine life. This is their story too.

Most of all, the steadfast love of God whose providence and sovereign grace has made this story possible.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to Wendy, and in loving memory to Jim, and to Steve and Michelle—fellow travelers in this journey of life unexpected. Their faith and their doubts, their courage and their fear, their spirits, words and friendship have helped us more than they will know. The work that God has done in their lives is nothing short of miraculous, not only because of the restoration of bodies, but the healing of wounded hearts as they have learned to sail the seas of uncertainty and pain. For Jim, ultimate healing, the resurrection to eternal life, has occurred. In that hope we press on until we all cast aside the mortal body with its weakness and receive our heavenly body.

Until then, keep the faith, Wendy. Keep the faith, Steve and Michelle.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way, and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

Psalm 46:13

The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Psalm 46:7

Preface:

Through Stormy Waters

Fred and Judy

Someone once told us that trying to get a book published was akin to having a mistress. If taken seriously, it can be time and mind consuming, something that you eat, breathe and live every day. I think that may be true. That is why we haven’t really worked harder at getting this story in print before now. It is also the reason that Judy and I decided to collaborate in telling the story. It belongs to her as much as it belongs to me. In fact, if it weren’t for her support, tenacious spirit, loving heart and type-A personality, there would be no story to tell. She was by my side every day during the darkest times immediately following my accident and she has been my companion on the journey for the sixteen years since as well. Her contributions to this manuscript are vital and offer a unique vantage point to the events described.

Life never comes at you as expected. It can be full of unpredictable joys and trials. The seas of everyday living aren’t always calm. Unplanned events can be like a mighty wave that sweeps over the decks of a boat, causing fear and anxiety—perhaps even danger or distress.

In this book, we have tried to recount God’s loving provision of peace in the midst of a gruesome, life-changing and life-threatening accident. While such a storm shook the foundations of who we were and what we believed, God proved to be gracious, faithful and true.

God never promised that believers would be immune from trials and hardships. In fact, God promised just the opposite. Yet in the midst of life’s storms, just when we think God doesn’t care, the Lord comes and speaks to the troubled soul, Peace, be quiet!

No one asks for an experience like ours. We certainly didn’t. And we weren’t the least bit prepared for it when it did happen. One of the principal promises from God that we have based our over forty years of marriage on is that He would be with us.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God …

Isaiah 43:2-3

Do not be afraid, for I am with you …

Isaiah 43:5

In the days following the accident, people said to me, Fred, someday you’ll have to write a book about your experience. After all these years—and after a few discouraging replies from publishers—we decided to make the story available ourselves. Our primary interest is in telling the story from two sides: Judy’s and mine. Our hope is that our experience and the lessons we learned would be beneficial to others going through similar storms.

Dr. Paul Johnson, a close friend and former colleague, sent a card to us during those early days following the accident. It simply said, I will not die but live and will proclaim what the Lord has done (Psalm 118:17). We feel a sacred duty to tell our story, not to draw attention to ourselves, but to declare what the Lord has done for us. It is our prayer that what has happened to us may serve to advance the gospel, in the words of Philippians 1:12.

Some who read our story may be passing through stormy waters right now. Others may feel washed up on shore—beaten, bedraggled, bruised and discouraged. Some who know us and who lived through the storms with us might find encouragement in knowing that we have come through it with more confidence in God’s promise than we had in 1997. For all who read this story, we hope there will be encouragement, comfort and renewed faith. That’s what it did for us.

Yet others may not have passed through any storms in life at all. For those readers, we pray you never have to navigate through similar waters but that the lessons we’ve learned will still be of encouragement and help. Perhaps, you can pass this book to a friend or a family member who might find help through this autobiography.

Our story is interlaced with transparent honesty and humor as we seek to help you, the reader, find that same peace. Some of the chapters were conceived and written at different stages and places along this sixteen-year journey.

Finally, our prayer is that this story might also serve as a discussion guide for small Bible study groups, recovery or grief groups, or simple circles of friends who wish to delve into the mysteries of God’s peace in the midst of life’s unexpected storms. We invite your comments. You are invited and encouraged to find us on Facebook or at http://throughstormywaters.blogspot.com. Most of all, we invite and encourage an examination of your heart so when you pass through stormy waters you will not be overwhelmed because God is with you.

This is our account and we are sticking to it.

Sola Deo Gloria!

Fred and Judy Davis

Enumclaw, Washington

January 2013

Chapter 1

Trauma: Life in the ER

Fred

I will not die but live and will proclaim what the Lord has done. The LORD has chastened me severely but he has not given me over to death.

Psalm 118:17-18

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

James 1:2-3

May 8, 1997

16:45 Mountain Daylight Time

Las Cruces, New Mexico

M r. Davis, stay with us! Mr. Davis, keep breathing! Sir, can you hear me? Can you tell us what hurts?

The searing waves of pain and the incredible sense of floating outside myself seemed surreal. A horrifying realization crossed my mind: this will change our family’s life forever. Drifting in and out of consciousness, I heard concern in the voices of the paramedics racing me to the hospital. There was no doubt this was serious stuff. It was no casual drive. It was a race against time in the minds of the driver and attendant. Later, one of them would tell me he had not expected me to make it to the hospital alive. My life was hanging by a fragile thread.

The siren blared as the paramedics performed their lifesaving work. I had always wondered what went on inside an ambulance. Now I was an eyewitness, but the shock and pain I felt kept me from being fully cognizant of what was happening. Just as the EMT first responders had done, the paramedics did their jobs with a grim and determined urgency. At the same time they remained professional, calm and efficient. An IV drip ran into my arm and an oxygen mask covered my face. A blood pressure cuff was wrapped securely around my immobile right arm as my rapidly dropping blood pressure was regularly checked and noted. My pressure was way too low, my respirations and pulse too high.

Inside the ambulance, I was only vaguely aware of the deafening noise of the siren. More critical to me was the earnest, concerned voice of the attendant riding in the business end of the vehicle with me. In constant communication with the hospital, he gave updated readings on vital signs and estimated the time of arrival. I heard, Pedestrian MVA. Mr. Davis was allegedly run over by a school bus and was dragged approximately 40 feet. Blood pressure 60 over 40, pulse 150, respirations 50 and shallow. Pupils are equal and reactive. Patient complains of pain in pelvis and right hip. No movement or sensation of the bilateral extremities. Severe abrasions and bruising to the back, face and head.Intermittently, he had questions for me to answer.

How is the pain?

Can you move your hand? What about your leg?

Are you still with me?

The ambulance raced diagonally across town to get to get to Memorial Medical Center, the only hospital in Las Cruces and Doña Ana County. The siren seemed distant, an unattached noise from another world. In the microcosm of that rolling emergency room, it seemed unreal. The shrill, ear-piercing pitch of an ambulance’s siren is designed to slice through any other noise on the road. Cars move to the side to let the emergency vehicle pass. People in their cars wonder what has happened. Is it an accident? A heart attack? A stabbing? The sound of that blaring siren is not only deafening but it is a haunting reminder of the tenuous nature of life.

I remember being gently shaken and spoken to as I faded in and out of consciousness. Once in a while, a bright light would shine in each of my eyes, checking to see if my pupils were dilated or reactive.

Pain from my right hip, which had been dislocated and pushed completely through the socket, was sending shrill, unbearable waves of nauseating pain throughout my body. Strapped securely to a gurney, I was unable to move. Was my spinal cord injured? There was no relief. I had been told that, as routine practice, I would not be given pain medication until further testing at the hospital could confirm the severity of my injuries.

I couldn’t see where we were going, but I knew the route. I had driven it hundreds of times. It was the same route I often had taken to the hospital when visiting hospitalized parishioners. I found my mind occupied with thoughts about my wife and kids. I tried to imagine where we were along the familiar route