The husband of one of my critique partners fell from a fork lift last week, severely injuring himself. He was taken by ambulance to our local hospital and as each day progressed another fracture, wound, or bruise was discovered and added to his assessment. By the end of the week the list of problems sounded like a rap sheet, the outlook grave, his projected recovery long and treacherous.
One doctor couldn’t believe the accident hadn’t left the man a quadriplegic.
That wasn’t an easy diagnosis for his wife and family to hear. Rehabilitation in a nursing facility would likely be the next step.
Stunned by the news, I thought of the parallels I’d written into my upcoming novel, Love’s Autumn Harvest, which is now available for pre-order and will release July 31. In that story my male protagonist is injured and taken to the hospital. While his injuries are not as severe as those mentioned above, rehabilitation is recommended. The story was written long before the incident occurred. Yet the similarities were amazing.
What were the chances my fictional story would so closely follow the path of my friend’s husband?
My hero balks, loudly assuring everyone around him that he will not go to a nursing facility. He takes matters in his own hands and the story that follows his decision is comical. His choices don’t come without consequences, but that’s what makes a fictional story come alive. The ending that follows is satisfying to my readers.
Hundreds of prayers were lifted to heaven on behalf of my friend’s husband. In James 5:16 the Bible tells us: “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
No one was surprised when God stepped in and the process of healing began. When it came time for my friend’s husband to move out of the hospital a week later, his recovery was so dramatic the doctor released him to the care of his family. He went home, rehabilitation equipment in place, wife and adult children at the ready.
Now that’s a happy ending.