Prayers for Shawn
I took this photo when I was about 12 or 13 years old. This was my brother, Shawn, when he was about 5. I told him to pose and he decided to pose as if he was praying. I don't think either of us had any idea how prophetic that photo would be.
My brother gave his life to Christ when he was just a little boy, about 9 years of age. I had come to the Lord about a year earlier, when I was 16. Since he was a child, Shawn has had a passion for the things of God, and definitely became a man of prayer, and eventually, did ministerial work. He has served as a pastor, and even had a radio show for a while, trying to reach out to the community in which we live.
Now, I am asking for prayers for my brother. Last night when I got home from work, he was waiting in the driveway, and asked me to bring him to the hospital. He was short of breath, gasping, and said he had had a coughing "fit" and coughed up blood. We rushed to the emergency room, and thanks to a dear friend who is a nurse, said the necessary things to get him in ahead of other people. She felt that he might have a pulmonary embolism, and told me he HAD to get in there right away or it could be fatal. So, she told me to threaten to call Morgan & Morgan, a local law firm that specializes in law suits! Sure enough, they took him in next, and since some people had been there for hours, that was pretty impressive!
We were there for hours, waiting for a bed to free up, and for tests to be run. His oxygen levels were low, and his blood pressure was incredibly high. I can't tell you how frightening it is to sit in a waiting room, helpless, while your kid brother is in a life-threatening situation. I couldn't help but feel that somehow this should have been me, since I was older. So many emotions flooded in, all the things we'd been through, and the petty squabbles that seemed ridiculous in the light of the situation. Finally, my middle nephew arrived and went back to see him, while I stayed in the lobby with about a dozen people, some who were crazy and having psychotic episodes, and others who were in pain but not complaining. It was like being in an episode of the Twilight Zone!
When my other nephew arrived, he went back, which meant I couldn't, so I received updates through texts. My nurse friend came to the ER and brought me a sandwich, because I hadn't eaten all day and it was 11:30 at night. I was so grateful for that sandwich!
I finally got to go back and see Shawn again. He was a little loopy from the meds, and was getting a headache from the nitro they'd given him. I learned his BP had been 203/ 123! His oxygen levels were up, and the xrays and tests were showing no clots in his lungs. They then suspected a heart attack. He had had no pain, though, so the other thought was that this was all because of elevated blood pressure. We won't know until morning what else they will do, and if he will have to have a heart catheterization. Thankfully, the BP is back down, and he is receiving blood thinner to keep him from clotting.
Needless to say, it's been stressful and harrowing, but Shawn has been in good spirits, making the jobs of the hospital staff a pleasure. They love him, and it's easy to see that he has such a heart for people. Now, people need to have a heart for him. I am requesting prayers and good thoughts for my brother so he will be out of danger and back home soon. It's hard for me to look at my 6' 3 1/2" brother now and see this little boy in the picture, but I still remember all the years that have gone by, and hope for many more to come. Please pray.
Prayers for Shawn
I took this photo when I was about 12 or 13 years old. This was my brother, Shawn, when he was about 5. I told him to pose and he decided to pose as if he was praying. I don't think either of us had any idea how prophetic that photo would be.
My brother gave his life to Christ when he was just a little boy, about 9 years of age. I had come to the Lord about a year earlier, when I was 16. Since he was a child, Shawn has had a passion for the things of God, and definitely became a man of prayer, and eventually, did ministerial work. He has served as a pastor, and even had a radio show for a while, trying to reach out to the community in which we live.
Now, I am asking for prayers for my brother. Last night when I got home from work, he was waiting in the driveway, and asked me to bring him to the hospital. He was short of breath, gasping, and said he had had a coughing "fit" and coughed up blood. We rushed to the emergency room, and thanks to a dear friend who is a nurse, said the necessary things to get him in ahead of other people. She felt that he might have a pulmonary embolism, and told me he HAD to get in there right away or it could be fatal. So, she told me to threaten to call Morgan & Morgan, a local law firm that specializes in law suits! Sure enough, they took him in next, and since some people had been there for hours, that was pretty impressive!
We were there for hours, waiting for a bed to free up, and for tests to be run. His oxygen levels were low, and his blood pressure was incredibly high. I can't tell you how frightening it is to sit in a waiting room, helpless, while your kid brother is in a life-threatening situation. I couldn't help but feel that somehow this should have been me, since I was older. So many emotions flooded in, all the things we'd been through, and the petty squabbles that seemed ridiculous in the light of the situation. Finally, my middle nephew arrived and went back to see him, while I stayed in the lobby with about a dozen people, some who were crazy and having psychotic episodes, and others who were in pain but not complaining. It was like being in an episode of the Twilight Zone!
When my other nephew arrived, he went back, which meant I couldn't, so I received updates through texts. My nurse friend came to the ER and brought me a sandwich, because I hadn't eaten all day and it was 11:30 at night. I was so grateful for that sandwich!
I finally got to go back and see Shawn again. He was a little loopy from the meds, and was getting a headache from the nitro they'd given him. I learned his BP had been 203/ 123! His oxygen levels were up, and the xrays and tests were showing no clots in his lungs. They then suspected a heart attack. He had had no pain, though, so the other thought was that this was all because of elevated blood pressure. We won't know until morning what else they will do, and if he will have to have a heart catheterization. Thankfully, the BP is back down, and he is receiving blood thinner to keep him from clotting.
Needless to say, it's been stressful and harrowing, but Shawn has been in good spirits, making the jobs of the hospital staff a pleasure. They love him, and it's easy to see that he has such a heart for people. Now, people need to have a heart for him. I am requesting prayers and good thoughts for my brother so he will be out of danger and back home soon. It's hard for me to look at my 6' 3 1/2" brother now and see this little boy in the picture, but I still remember all the years that have gone by, and hope for many more to come. Please pray.