Saturday, July 2, 2011

We meet Kris!

I’m finding it very difficult to put words together tonight.

This morning, we took the little ‘cracker box on wheels’ back to the rental facility in San Antonio by the airport.  From there, we went only a few miles to RIOSA to see our friends, Carol and George Kline and meet their daughter, AF Major Kris Ratliff, who is a patient there in physical therapy.

Carol is so good at keeping us updated as to Kris’s progress.  Aside from the admiration we have for her for being an AF nurse for 17 years, we were overwhelmed with emotion seeing her and knowing only a little of what she, and her family, has been through since that life changing accident a year ago last April.

We were invited in to meet her while she was in therapy and she was so brave and spunky at the same time.  When Carol told her who we were and how we had met in Branson in 2008, she looked at us and smiled as she slowly raised her left hand to her forehead in a salute.  That action just about did me in.  And then she posed for me to take her picture.  Her therapist kept her hand on the belt around Kris’s waist to steady her as she stood.100_4720

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After our official introductions, Don and George sat down to visit as Kris finished up her therapy.100_4722

George, Don and I then went to an area where the guys could get a free cup of coffee we sat at a table and visited while Carol took Kris back to her room and got her ready to rest.

I don’t have the liberty to write about some of the things George shared with us, but just know that we were overcome with emotion and compassion for George, Carol and Kris.

We went back to Kris’s room to tell her goodbye and Don prayed for her as we all held hands.  She squeezed Don’s hand.  I gave her one of the “God is BIG enough” bracelets that Emma gave me from their church in Waco.  I pray that it helps to encourage her.

From RIOSA, we went to lunch at Martha’s with Carol and George and continued catching up.  We’re so excited to report that plans are in the works for them to come to Johnson Creek RV park for a concert sometime this summer.  Maybe then, I will get a picture of Carol.  Can’t believe that I didn’t get a picture with her today.

On the way to the Q, we got rained on in Comfort!  A few of these thunderclouds finally gathered enough to 100_4727shed a little rain in a small area.  Don actually had to turn on the windshield wipers.100_4728

This burned out hill wasn’t burned out two weeks ago when we went to get the rent car.  It’s so dry here.100_4725

Late this afternoon, we heard thunder rumbling and I went outside to walk around a little.  Here’s a few pictures of the clouds, but we got not rain here at the park.  Some dude rushed out to put his chairs away so they wouldn’t get wet and I told him he scared the rain away. :-)100_4729 100_4730100_4731

That’s our Monday. 

There’s a prayer in my heart that I can’t seem to put into words, but God hears the groaning of my heart.  He’s big like that.  Thank You, Father.

1 comment:

Joel and Linda said...

Sure glad you got to meet Kris and got to pray with her! She sure is a trooper!