THE WIFE OF MY YOUTH
LEE ANN GRAY
My wife, of 50 years, was rushed to the hospital last Friday. She had extreme difficulty breathing. She was put into the hospital. After several doctors examined her with multiple tests they said it was Hypertension and pulmonary Hypertension. B/P was 230/179. Heart rate was averaging 144. They gave her a nitro pill and She was placed in a room at the hospital. When all the vitals came down they let her come home Sunday at 5 pm.
Sunday night she had a terrible night. Monday morning at 8 am we rushed her to the hospital again. She could hardly breath. Vitals were right back where they were Sunday, extremely high.
They did another Cat Scan and drew some more blood, etc. They changed meds again. Once again her levels started coming down to safe levels. 5 doctors have been involved with us since last Friday night.
They came to the conclusion that she had diastolic congestive heart failure, congestive heart failure, two distinct hypertension problems with the right side of her heart being damaged. They came up with a game plan of new meds along with a new diet. She is being placed under the care of a well known heart specialist team here in Longview. In two weeks they will get with us and determine what further can be done.
She cannot have anything that will cause her stress. That’s what she gets for marrying a preacher, or as my son Scott said in his text, or marrying a Gray.
It has been a rough week end for her. I know I’m prejudice, but she is the finest Christian I know. If I had to choose just one person to pray for me it would be her. I have never heard her pray for herself for she is always praying and thinking of others.
We have, as all those who have fought the fight for Christ, had enemies. I have never heard a single word of hatred against them come from her lips. She would always say when someone attacked us, “I feel sorry for them.” I can still hear her say about an enemy one time; before we went to God in prayer, “Forgive them, they know not what they do.”
Now don’t misunderstand, she is just as human as the next person. It’s interesting the word “honor” is used in the parent-child relationship. The word is simply defined as putting weight down on the good. A child at home, according to Ephesians chapter 6 is to “obey” and “honor” their parents.
However, the promise in the book of Exodus about having “long life” is wrapped around the word “honor.” The word “obey” is not found as a part of the promise for long life found in Exodus. A grown child not living under the roof of his or her parents is not told by God to “obey” their parents. However, they are commanded to “honor” their parents as well.
With the obedience to that word “honor” comes the promise of a long life. The wife of my youth and the mother of our children deserves “honor.” I’m glad our children put weight down on the good she has done and not those things they thought were not good. Supposing they were to choose to put emphasis on the bad done by their mother then God’s promise would not apply to them.
It would be wise to put your weight down with “honor” even to those who have preceded you and handed you a better life than you had before. Satan is the “accuser of the brethren” and to join him in dishonoring those who paved the way for you by emphasizing the bad is despicable.
But preacher, they did me wrong! Then obey the Bible and put your weight down on the good they did and let God sort out the rest.
After 40 plus surgeries I would have been discouraged, but not Mrs. G. She has been under a lot of stress physically through out our ministry in Texas. I do not know how much more her poor old body can take. Oh, I know she is not perfect, but she has NEVER been upset with God through all of this. To me that is an amazing attribute for anyone to possess.
I would appreciate your prayers for her and the doctors.
Dr. Bob Gray Sr.
Ps. 84:11