Douglas and his Knife

Yesterday, September 24, a minute or two before 5 PM, CDT, Douglas was whiling his time away with a utility knife.  (Where he got it is beyond me).  He was cutting a plastic lantern cover and somehow ??? the knife slipped and inadvertently plunged into his left thigh.  It didn't hurt for a couple of seconds but then he looked to see why his pant leg felt wet and immediately realized he had 'daggered' himself.  Well, will spare you the bloody details but it was NOT a pretty sight.  It took just a couple seconds for his sock to start changing color too.  Quickly, wife was called onto the scene and preparations were made for a trip to the nearest ER; no less than 18 miles away.  (Clay Center, Kansas)  

Dad:  but Doug, this is Wednesday night and I need to start prayer meeting at 7 PM.  

Doug:  I'm sorry Dad, I didn't do it on purpose.

Mom:  Should you stay here for prayer meeting?

Metricia:  (18 year old daughter) NO, You're his DAD after all.

Dad: Doug, You're 14.   Aren't you, you know, a little grown up for this kind of thing.

Doug:  I'm sorry Dad, I didn't do it on purpose.

The wound doesn't want to stop bleeding.  It lays wide open, when its not being held shut,  to a length between 1 and 2 inches.  I looks as deep as it is long.  Its depth, more than its length, puts  all witnesses into a repulsed shock.  The Pulpit Supply committee is called and yes, they'll cover the pulpit for the evening.

So, faithful pastor misses a Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting for a daggered 14 year leg.  HMMMMM.  Wonder how many other pastors ever had to wear the same 'boot'ineer.

2 'inside' stitches, plus 4 surface stitches later, thanks to the Physicians Asistant, Don, who conducted himself with excellent skill and humor, we pulled away from the Clay County Hospital at 7:10.  Dicharge papers did not include some of the doctors admonitions of Extra Math, English and Dishes.  (Believe Doug is REALLY sorry about this accident, now)

So all night last night and all day today, Doug has owned the front room as his bedroom, so as to spare him the long flight of steps upstairs to his bedroom.  And OF COURSE, he doesn't like that much at all since he naturally has to keep the living room more clean than his bedroom.

Just another reason why we call this website

MAHINALIVE

Melinda leaves on Missions Trip, September 5, 2008.

Today, September 5, we saw Melinda off to South Dakota on a sort of missions trip.  Dean and Marcia Grant, the ones taking Melinda with them, live right next door to us and they are serving as PR folks for the Society of Indian Missions.  The Grants are holding a revival and doing some house setting for Dick and Carrol Lee, missionaries to the Sioux Indians.  The Grants and Melinda will also be visiting other Holiness Indian Mission works around that same South Central part of South Dakota.  They'll be gone for 3 1/2 weeks.  Diane and I are glad Melinda has this opportunity to see the Indian Mission field first hand but it was hard to see her leave.  The boys took Melinda's departure so hard Metricia volunteered to pay for gas for a trip to Concordia just to get out of the house.  It ended up that she spent nearly all of her Miltonvale Manor paycheck on her brothers ... so now I'm suspecting that she really wanted just to shop instead of just get out of the house.  She is turning out to be quite the real lady.

 

Please pray for the Grants and Melinda.  

More Later.