The Schamel Family

 "Tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap."

Lucy drummed her fingers on the arm of her chair. "What is taking the doctor so long?" she thought.

Lucy, and her Mom and Dad had been waiting in the emergency room for quite some time. It was hard for Lucy to wait. What was wrong with her Dad?

Finally the doctor came in. When she saw the look on the doctor's face, she began to worry.

"We got the results of the blood test," the doctor said. "Mrs. Shodd, could I see you outside for just a minute."

Lucy's mom hesitated, then placed her delicate hand on Mr. Shodd's shoulder. "We would like to hear the news together."

"It's not good." the doctor warned. Then he sighed, "I don't know how or where you would've picked up this disease, it's really not very common anymore. The blood test shows that Polio has infected your nervous system. They call that paralytic polio." The doctor stopped and glanced at Mrs. Shodd. "There is no cure for polio. And...," The doctor sighed and glanced toward the door.

"What is it, doctor? How bad is it?" Mr. Shodd asked.

"You are paralyzed for life."

Lucy gasped and covered her mouth as she tried to hold back the tears and swollow the lump swelling in her throat.

"And," the doctor continued hesitantly, "There is a chance that the virus could do worse damage to your brain and even cause, death. There's nothing we can do, except send you home to take it easy."

At these words, all else seemed to disappear. Lucy stared at her father, her daddy! "Paralyzed?" Lucy thought. "For life? He could die? How could this have ever happened? We're good people! How could God let this happen?!" Lucy choked on her tears and collapsed into a chair.

She glanced up at her mother who was weeping and clinging tightly to her husband, who also had tears in his eyes.

"The good news is he can go home." the doctor said awkwardly.

Mrs. Shodd nodded and the doctor left the room.

A few minutes later, nurses came into the room to prepare Mr. Shodd for the ride home.

After they got home and everyone was settled, Mrs. Shodd went to the pharmacy, leaving Lucy alone with her dad.

Lucy sat down in the chair next to her dad's bed, and looked down at him. "How can he look so peaceful when he sleeps?" She asked herself. Then the tears came. "How could God be so cruel?! How could a loving God do something so, so, hateful?!"

Lucy buried her head in her hands and cried bitterly, until a stir came from her father's bed.

With a voice hoarse from sleep, He said tenderly, with just a hint of reproach, "Lucy, You know that God didn't do this. I raised you better than that."

"Then how could God let this happen?!" Lucy asked through her tears.

"God didn't bring death into the world, sin did. And man brought sin into the world. When God created man he gave him the freedom of choice. Man chose sin, and sin brings death. That's not God's fault."

"But how could he let this happen to us?! We're good people!"

"Honey, the rain falls on the just and the unjust. Besides, what makes you think we're good people?"

"We go to church! We pay our tithes! We care for the poor! And we never stole anything, or killed anyone! We're good people!"

"Lucy, don't you remember the story of the rich young ruler? He came to Jesus and asked what good thing he had to do to get eternal life. But the Bible tells us that we are not saved by works that we do but by what Jesus did. So going to church and doing all those things doesn't make us good people. The Bible says, 'for ALL have sinned.' And that means that no one is a good person."

Lucy looked down at her hands, and her dad lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. "Lucy, if there is one thing I want you to have before I go, it's a strong walk with the Lord. We don't even know if I'll even die yet. But whatever God decides is fine with me."

Lucy nodded, and swallowed her tears.

"Your piano recital is in three days!" Mr. Shodd said beaming. "I know you'll make me proud."

Lucy gave him an odd look. "But I'm not going."

The smile on Mr. Shodd's face vanished instantly. "Why ever not?!"

"Because, Daddy, I couldn't play without you there! I want to spend all of my time with you!" Lucy said, her eyes watering once again.

"What makes you think I won't be there?"

"Daddy, the doctor said you should take it easy. Going would be too stressful."

"Well, I took the ride home O.K. didn't I? Besides, I don't care what the doctor thinks. I know that seeing you win the competition will be VERY good for me. You're going, and I'll be in the front row cheering you on." Mr. Shodd said decisively. "And that's that. Now, go practice. I want to hear you play."

Lucy tried to smile then walked over to the grand piano her dad had bought her only a few months ago for her sixteenth birthday.

She sat down and started to play her dad's favorite song, "It is Well with My Soul," the song she would play for the competition. As her skilled fingers danced across the keys, beautiful music filled the house and soon her dad was once again asleep.

On the night before the competition, the doctor came to check on Mr. Shodd. After completing his exam, he called Mrs. Shodd into the parlor.

"He doesn't look good." The doctor told her sadly.

"I know, but I'm sure he'll pull through. He won't leave Lucy and me alone," Mrs. Shodd assured him.

The next evening, Lucy came down from her bedroom to see her Dad in his wheelchair holding a dozen pink roses. "You look beautiful, Lucy."

Lucy blushed and accepted the roses. Then Lucy helped her mother get Mr. Shodd safely into their mini-van.

Lucy was nervous as a cat as her turn to play drew closer. There was so many people! But when she walked out onto the stage and saw her dad in the front row, all nervousness left her. She was no longer playing for a large crowd of people, she was playing for her daddy. Without even thinking about it, Lucy's fingers began their song. And as tears filled her eyes she played with a zeal she never had before.

"Whatever my lot Thou hast taught me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul."

When she finished, the crowd was silent, then erupted into thunderous applause, and rose from their seats.

But Lucy didn't notice everyone else, she only noticed the man in the front row who had stood against his wheelchair. Her daddy.

Later that night as she and her dad framed her first place certificate, Lucy thought about what her dad had told her earlier. "Lord, I accept your will. If you must take him, I'll still love you."

That was the last memory Lucy ever had with her dad. And as she placed the roses on his casket, she remembered Psalm 68:5 that says, "God is the father of the fatherless."

The End


(c) 2007 Amber D. Schamel

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