A phone call you never want...

I woke up this morning before the sun came up. I laid there in bed thinking that today is December 18th. My mind quickly raced back to December 18, 1985. It was on that day that I received a phone call that I will never forget. It was around 2 am when the phone rang. The voice on the other end was a nurse from University Hospital. She said, "Mr. Baker, we need you to come to the hospital. Your son is in trouble." It had been a tough week. Patty and I had been with him just a few hours before and the doctors said that things were looking good. In fact, they gave us a 98% chance of him making it. Now, the nurse said the word "trouble".

I called a friend of mine, Ray Jones, and we headed to the hospital. When I got to the hospital, they ushered me into a small private room and I was told that the doctor would be in to talk to me. I knew at that moment what he was going to say. My heart sank. When the doctor came in, he said something like this: "I am sorry. We did everything that we could do."

They handed me his belongings and I went into the room to see his lifeless body. We left the hospital in silence. As we road down Washington Road toward my house, my mind was racing trying to figure out what to say to my twenty-four year old wife who was at home recovering from a c-section.

I walked into the bedroom, took her into my arms and held her as I told her that her first-born son was dead. It was the most difficult moment of our young lives. You can't describe the pain.

We grew up that day. We were kids, but on December 18, 1985 we became adults. Our dream world was shaken into reality. We mourned and grieved. We cried and we embraced the pain. In the end, we grew closer together and closer to the Lord. We stood on Romans 8:28 which says: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

God has been true to his word. He has brought good out of our pain. A year later, Stuart was born, then Sarah, and finally Samuel. With each birth, God's goodness has been multiplied. He has been faithful to us and to our family.

For those of you who are suffering through grief this holiday season, I know your pain. I also know that pain will eventually pass, but the beauty remains forever. Cherish the memories and do forget to look for the good.