Grace

By Lois Hite-Overbay

The stories in this book are fiction, but are true to life. The stories will take you through everyday happenings and show how God is there to help you, if you ask him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jan 17, 2011
• ISBN: 9781456717537

Lois Hite-Overbay

Lois is a Wife, Mother, Grandmother and a Christian Author.She loves to read, write, sing and spend time with family and friends. This is her fifth book. You will find her other books on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books a Million, etc. Each book has been used for devotionals, group studies, gifts and best of all, for your own quiet time with the Lord.

Book preview

According To God’s Will

Max and I had been saving for a house of our own since we got married. We knew if we got a nice down payment, we could manage the rest monthly. Finally after almost six years, we thought we had enough to really look. We didn’t want a huge house, but we did want three or four bedrooms. We had a daughter Nikki, age three and one on the way. We already knew it was going to be a boy, which we planned to name Dylan. So with a boy and a girl, we would need at least three bedrooms. We had talked about it and the house we picked would most likely be our life-long house. Max wanted a garage, and I wanted a back yard big enough for cook outs and plenty of play room for the kids.

We looked just a little over two months, when the house of our dreams, just fell in our lap. Julie, our realtor, called and said she thought she had the perfect house for us. The people had just put it on the market that morning and we were her first call. That was on a Friday and we made plans to go see it on Saturday.

As we drove up the little back road, I could just feel it. This was going to be it. We had seen, I know thirty houses in the past two months, but this was all ready feeling right. There was very little traffic on the road, great for kids. We turned in the lane, I cried this is it. Max laughed and said I feel the same way, but don’t you think we should check it out? There were four bedrooms, none were huge, but that was okay. Kitchen, living room, dining room, even a den in the basement. Out back was perfect. There was a garage for Max and a large yard, which all ready had a swing set. There was a patio with a stone grill built in the corner. I wanted to say how much, but I knew Julie already knew what we wanted to spend and how much we had to put down. Finally Max asked her how much. Julie said, You aren’t going to believe this. The owners want a fast sale as his job has sent him overseas. When he comes back, they will be living in the Hawaii. His wife has to wait for the sale of the house and they are asking $10,000.00 less then you are willing to pay. I said Isn’t God good?

A month and a half later we were living in our very own house. The only thing I wasn’t crazy about was our front yard. It kind of rolled down a little hill. It wasn’t too bad. Max could mow it on the riding mower, but some spots were a little steep. Max said maybe one day we could afford to get it filled in. I had a cute little bench and bird bath I wanted to sit out there, but couldn’t find a level stop to sit it.

We had lived in out new home three months when Dylan was born. When he was six months old , I was changing his diaper and the phone rang. I asked Nikki to answer it for me. She called Mom, It’s Pop Pop. He wants to talk to Daddy. I said, Tell him you will go get Daddy and go tell your Dad, Pop Pop wants him on the phone. I heard her run out the front door, Max was mowing the front yard. Just a few moments later I heard her screaming and Max yelling for me. It scared me so bad, I almost left Dylan on my bed. I grabbed him and laid him in his bed crying and I ran out the door. Max was coming up the hill carrying Nikki in his arms, blood everywhere. I could see her legs were all chewed up. He yelled Call 911. I ran for the phone , Dad was still on it, I cried and said Dad, Nikki’s hurt. I have to call for help. Before the paramedics got there, Mom and Dad were there. Mom took over the care of Dylan.

The next few hours were a quick blur. Nikki was taken to the nearest hospital. They said, she had to go to the children’s hospital and they flew her two hours away. Because she was so small, they allowed me to fly with her. Dad drove Max. Max was so upset; he was blaming himself. When Nikki came out yelling for him, he had in ear plugs, because the mower is so loud. She had to get where he could see her and when she did, the grass was damp from being cut and she slid down the hill and both legs went under the mower. Nikki had always had those skinny little legs and arms. I held her hand and prayed the whole way to the children’s hospital.

By the time they had checked her out, Max and Dad were there. Dad said Mom had called the prayer chain, so there were already a lot of people praying. I kissed her as they took her into surgery. I hadn’t looked at her legs, but I knew they were bad. Max said there were at least two toes missing. I remember the paramedic looking for them, I didn’t know if he found them or not.

The next four hours were awful. I knew God was in control, but that was my baby in there. Pastor Lark from our church came and sat with us. He read to us from his Bible. I had a hard time paying attention, but I do know he said if we ask any thing of God, He will answer, if it’s according to His will.I said to the Pastor What if it’s not God’s will to heal her? What if she loses her legs? Pastor Lark laid his hand on my hand and said God is in control; Nikki will be fine. Finally the doctor came out and talked to us. He said They had to reattach nerves and muscles and they reattached her big toe. She still had one missing on each foot. They needed a few days before they could tell us if she would be able to use her legs. As she healed they would be able to tell more, but the biggest concern right then was infection.

Max, Mom, Max’s Mom and I took turns staying with Nikki. I wanted to be there all the time, but I had to think of Dylan too. After three weeks she was able to get up. Then after several weeks of therapy she was able to come home. Her legs were still a little stiff, but she could walk. The doctor said time would tell how well she would be able to run. The scars are awful. The doctor said some would fade in time; others she will always have. Each time I see them, I thank God for healing her. I thank God for the people who helped us, the paramedics, the doctors and nurses. I’ll never forget all the prayers that went up in our name.

I John 5:14

.. this is the confidence that we have in him, that we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

John 14:14 & 15

If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Cheerful Giver

Tess is my best friend and we have known each other for ever and a day. She has a husband, Mark, a son Mike and a daughter Darla. Tess is a great person, and as the saying goes, she would give you the shirt off her back.

One day when Tess’ kids were small, we were sitting at her kitchen table having coffee. She was so excited; she was going on a trip with the ladies from her church to Williamsburg; leaving on Friday night and not getting back until Sunday. She told me, she had read a lot about Williamsburg, but had never been there. While we were talking, Mike, her son, who was six at the time, came in all excited. Oh Mom, he said, my school is having a Fun Fair on the 8th and I told my teacher you and I would work the goldfish stand. Is that okay Mom? My teacher said I could have a goldfish for working it. Sure, she said, I know we will do a great job. She hugged him and out the door he ran. I said, Tess isn’t that the weekend you were going to Williamsburg? Oh yes, she said, but this is important to Mike. She smiled and started talking about the Fun Fair.

Another time Tess and I were going to the mall to get a dress she had seen on sale. She had seen the dress a month or so before and loved it. It was a little more than she wanted to spend, but she told me, she would save some money and when it went on sale, she would buy it. She called to say it was finally on sale and I drove over to pick her up. Mark was home and he was going to watch the kids, and we could have a girl’s day out. Before we even pulled out of the driveway, Darla came up to the car yelling, Mom, Mom. I stopped, Tess said, What is it dear? Darla said, Mom I was invited to Kim’s Pool Birthday Party tomorrow and my swim suit from last summer won’t fit, I tried to squeeze into it. Tess said, Don’t worry dear; I will pick you up one at the mall. As we drove away, I asked Tess if she would have enough money for the dress and the swim suit. No, she said smiling, but that’s okay. I saw the cutest swim suit last week at the mall and Darla will love it.

Through the years I saw her give Mark her last twenty dollars to buy fishing worms; Darla a new blouse she had bought for herself; Mike the lunch she had bought