It's a God Thing! Inspiring Stories of Life-Changing Friendships

By Larry Baker and Becky Lyles

When it seemed the best years of his life were over...

 

Larry Baker gained a new passion for living through unexpected life-changing friendships and adventures. He invites you to join him in the daily exhilaration of discovering the surprises and relationships God has waiting for each of us just around the corner.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Perpedit Publishing, Ink
• Release date: Aug 30, 2011
• ISBN: 9781393099802

Book preview

Chapter 1

MIRACLE MAN

Partying with exotic dancers was a new experience for me in 1993, a result of a unique friendship with a young college student named Nikki. Three dramatic events in my life had led to that friendship and would ultimately lead to many other remarkable relationships. The first incident occurred in the spring of 1989 in Fort Collins, Colorado, when I was 43 years old.

I had risen early on a beautiful May morning and hurried to a nearby golf course to play a round before work. The sky was clear and bright, birds were singing and the foliage sparkled from a pre-dawn rain. I reveled in the fresh air, sunshine and solitude, thanking God for such a magnificent Rocky Mountain daybreak. Then I reached the third hole.

As I swung my driver, I lost my footing on the wet grass and hit the ground hard. When I regained consciousness, I was instantly aware of severe back pain. Moments later, I realized I could not stand upright. I also realized I was alone on the course. Knowing it could be hours before anyone found me, I crawled the 400 long yards to my car, dragging my clubs behind me. Somehow, I managed to climb behind the wheel and drive home.

After I hauled myself into the house, I called Tari, my hazel-eyed bride of four months, at the beauty salon we co-owned. I think I ripped some muscles in my back, I told her. Could you cancel my hair appointments for a couple of days?

Do you want me to come home, sweetheart? she asked. I could hear concern in her voice.

No, I’ll be fine. The pain was intense, but I was an ex-Marine and too tough for my own good. Plus, I didn’t realize the extent of my injury.

Tari came home over her lunch break, anyway. I was lying on the couch, chock-full of aspirin. Not wanting her to know how much pain I was in, I said, You go on back to work, honey. I’ll be okay. However, when she returned at five-thirty that evening, I was on the floor, screaming in agony. Tari called an ambulance.

That was the beginning of a 26-day hospital ordeal. At first, the doctors couldn’t find anything wrong and tried to send me home. But I refused to leave. The pain was still so excruciating I couldn’t get out of bed. Plus, I’d black out just attempting to turn over.

Finally, after more extensive testing, my doctor came in, his brow furrowed. You’ve ruptured a disk and it’s pushing into your spinal cord, he explained. We have to get it out right away.

They immediately wheeled me in for emergency surgery, saying, You’ll be fine, Mr. Baker. It’ll take some rehab afterward, but you’ll be okay.

Several hours later, however, I awoke to bright lights that blared above masked strangers, who hovered over me, peering into my face. It was like a sci-fi flick or a bad dream. Yet, I could tell I was still in the operating room.

Mr. Baker, move your legs! muffled voices demanded.

I tried.

Move your right toe!

Move your left foot!

I couldn’t move anything.

Then I heard someone say, I don’t know what went wrong, but we have to operate again.

So they put me back under anesthesia and hollowed out a couple vertebrae to give my swollen spinal cord more space. When I awakened the next time, I was in a private room. Tari was beside my bed, her face white with worry.

It wasn’t long before one of the neurosurgeons marched in. Mr. and Mrs. Baker, he announced, I realize you’ve only been married a short time, but you need to know Larry may be a paraplegic the rest of his life. He might never walk again. With that, he pivoted and strode out of the room.

Tari and I stared at each other. We hadn’t had a clue I could leave the operating room paralyzed.

Our lives were changed in an instant. Besides dealing with the trauma of a severely injured husband, Tari found herself running a large salon without her business partner. One night when she came into my hospital room, I could see she was worn out.

I took her hand. Honey, you’re exhausted, I said. I love it that you’re here, but I love you and I want you to go home and get some rest.

Are you sure? Tari asked.

I replied. I love you, and I think that’s what you should do.

She kissed me and left, promising to return the next day.

I will never forget that evening in the hospital. It was 8:30 or 9:00. I could hear televisions and muffled voices in the distance, people shuffling up and down the hallway. But my room was silent. I felt isolated and confined, trapped in a living nightmare. I was a lonely prisoner of my own body.

When I first became paralyzed, I was told that if I could move my toes or feet within 10 days, I might have a chance to recover the use of my limbs again. Well, 10 days had come and gone without one lower muscle moving. It was disheartening to know I no longer had control over my body or my life.

On top of that, earlier in the day a doctor had come in and said, I’m sorry, Mr. Baker, but I have to take out your catheter. We’ve got to run some tests on your bladder. He knew the pain nerves still functioned, which made the procedure more than uncomfortable. After he removed the tube, with an apologetic shrug the doctor added, We’ll put this back in around 9:30 or 10:00 tonight.

I didn’t want to go through that torture again, so after the doctor left, I did pull-up after pull-up on the bar over my bed, hoping to stimulate urination before he returned. Groaning and sweating, I worked my upper muscles over and over and over, but to no avail. The urine cup on the bed stand still sat empty.

That night, as I lay staring at the ceiling, feeling discouraged and depressed, out of the stillness a quiet voice inside my head and my heart said, Okay, tough guy, what are you going to do now? You’ve called yourself a Christian for years, but you’ve never put me first. You’ve always worked out your problems your way, handled life on your own. Yet, if this hospital burned down right now, you couldn’t even get out of that bed. Who are you going to turn to now?

At that moment, I realized I had always depended on myself. Although I’d become a believer while still a teenager, I’d never let God be Lord of my life. God, I am so sorry, I said. Will you forgive me? I promise I’ll depend on you from now on. As I felt His compassion and His forgiveness flow over me, I pleaded, I feel so helpless and alone right now. Will you please give me a sign you’re with me, that you care about me and love me?

Instantly, I felt an urge to urinate, an incredible miracle and display of God’s love for me. I reached for the cup beside my bed, tears running down my face. Later, my neurosurgeon told me, In all of your amazing progress, the biggest surprise was when your bladder began functioning again.

Rehabilitation therapy in the hospital was a daily ordeal. Every session, the therapists would say, Move your left foot, move your right foot. Wiggle your left toes, wiggle your right toes. It became routine and rhetorical. Nothing ever happened.

One day shortly after my bladder miracle, as we were going through the usual regimen, the therapist suddenly said, Mr. Baker, I think I saw your toe twitch! At that moment, I knew I would walk again.

When I left the hospital 14 days later, however, I was still considered a paraplegic, though I had slight movement in one foot and two toes. I had a long way to go, and no one could or would predict the outcome.

Tari was a tremendous encouragement to me. One night, she said, Hey, hon, we’re going out to dinner. She bathed me, blow-dried my hair, put my best suit on me, and got all dressed up herself. Then she helped me into the car and drove me to one of the nicest restaurants in town. As we pulled up, she joked, We get to use a handicapped parking spot! I’ve always wondered what this feels like.

Not knowing how people would react, we rolled in with our heads high and had a wonderful, intimate evening together. We held hands, me in my wheelchair on one side of the table and Tari in her seat on the other. She looked me in the eyes and said, You’re the best-looking guy in a wheelchair I’ve ever seen, Larry. I love you. This will not destroy us. It’s just going to make us stronger. We’ll make it through, no matter what.

I was convinced I would walk again, but the medical professionals weren’t as optimistic. If it happens, they said, it’ll take at least six months. However, I was determined to speed up the process. After my second physical therapy session at home, the therapist said, You’re way ahead of schedule. Since you’re obviously motivated and working really hard, I trust you to continue exercising on your own. Just call if you have questions.

Thanks to the healing power of God and hard work, I went from a wheelchair to a walker, to crutches, then a cane, and finally to walking on my own within seven weeks. Hospital staff members still call me The Miracle Man.

Chapter 2

LITTLE TOUGH GUY

My best friend was the source and the center of the next unsettling episode in my life. Jack cut hair at the station next to me and was married to my sister Julia. He was stocky, five-foot, four-inches tall and the typical little tough guy. A very likable person, Jack had lots of friends as well as a large clientele. He was always ready with a good joke, because he liked to make people laugh.

People often commented that we thought alike and we talked alike. We were closer than brothers. Jack loved the Lord like I did, and we regularly told each other I love you, something a lot of guys aren’t able to do.

Every chance we got, Jack and I went fishing together. When I was in