May 18 - Joann Doka

My mom was scheduled to have a procedure done at Albert Einstein Hospital, which her own doctors at Our Lady of Mercy Hospital advised against, but she was at her wits end and did not want to remain in such discomfort and so opted to have the procedure done despite this. She did not want to hear any arguments to the contrary, she'd had enough. At the same time, my dad was in Jacobi Hospital; he suffered an arrhythmia at home and he was in a coma. The doctors performed an EEG (a brain scan to measure brain activity) and the results were not good at all, he was in a vegetative state.

While my dad was in one hospital, my brother and I were in the hospital with my mom. The doctor came out and told us my mom was doing good and he would let us know when he was done. About 20 minutes later he comes rushing out and told us my mom was having a heart attack (yes, her own doctors were right, she should not have had the procedure done). I gave him my mom's doctor's number at our Lady of Mercy. While this was happening, my brother had a mild heart attack right there in the waiting room. I had my dad in one hospital in a coma, my mom had a heart attack, my brother, while with me, had a heart attack and I was quite shocked, to say the least. Thank God my mom's heart attack was mild, my brother's very mild but while my mom was recuperating, my dad, he passed away.

With my mom still in the hospital, I had the unpleasant task of telling her my dad passed, with her doctors on standby, just in case. I had to make the funeral arrangements for my dad. My mom could not come to my dad's funeral, she was not well enough. This was in 1991; I had my daughter and my son, my daughter three years old, my son, one. If I did not have Jesus, I really could have lost my mind. So much was happening all at once and sometimes things are so hard to comprehend. I prayed for God to take my dad home to Heaven as he was in such a bad state. I prayed to God to heal my mom and give her strength and courage when I would give her such devastating news and I prayed for my brother. God answered accordingly. He took my dad home to Heaven, my mom, although not able to come to my dad's funeral did get better, as did my brother.

Yes, God does answer prayers in His perfect timing. Jesus, my Lord and Savior, I felt with me every moment. All praise, all glory, all honor for these God moments. He gave me strength and resilience; the wisdom and guidance I so desperately needed and I am witness to His unending mercy. Forever grateful, forever indebted to Jesus, but yes, I can attest to His goodness, His grace, His unending love.