My First Love Is Watching Over Me

My First Love

Is Watching Over Me

PEARLE WHITE

AuthorHouse™

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© 2023 Pearle White. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse  05/24/2024

ISBN: 978-1-4259-9347-4 (sc)

ISBN: 979-8-8230-2757-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2007900741

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Dedication

T his book is dedicated to God in which I find strength and guidance.

Table of Contents

1.The Greatest Gift of All Is Love

2.Brotherly Love

3.Faith Like Job

4.All Things Are Possible Through Me; You Are Healed

5.What’s in the Blood?

6.Your Breath Is My Breath; Breathe

7.Healing Waters by Faith

8.Matthew 18:19

9.When Prayers Go Up Blessings Come Down

10.

Tribulations Through Mercy

11.

Walk with Me My Son

12.

The Valley of the Shadow of Death

13.

By the Grace of God

14.

The Chains of Insanity Will Not Prevail

15.

Blessings Come in Many Forms

16.

The Devil Is a Liar

17.

When It Rains It Pours

18.

Those Who Have the Least Can Give the Most

19.

Fear Not Says the Lord

20.

Who Loves You the Most?

ONE

The Greatest Gift of All Is Love

A t seven months in to carrying my second child, I started to get sick. My stomach wouldn’t stretch anymore. My stomach and face started breaking out. The itching was all over and uncontrollable. When I went to the doctor he said, You have an infection but we can’t give you anything because of the baby. You will have to endure the symptoms until the baby is born.

Will my baby be alright? I asked the doctor. The doctor looked at me with confidence, Yes, he’s going to be alright as long as he’s in the amniotic sack he will be protected from danger. My stomach was tight and felt like it was going to split open at any moment. The doctor gave me a cream for my face and stomach. He wanted me to schedule an appointment for an Amniocentesis, which tells how strong the baby’s lungs are. The baby would have to be taken from my womb prematurely due to the infection. He didn’t want to take any chances with my stomach stretching any further and the infection setting in more. I walked out of the room and the receptionist set an appointment. I went straight to the pharmacist to pick up the cream. I was scratching my stomach until it began to peel all over. I put the cream on continually but it did not relieve me. I went back to the doctor and they did the amniocentesis. They took a long needle and drove it into my stomach all the way to the amniotic sack. I had a look of terror in my eyes. Don’t worry Mrs. Smith this will not hurt the baby. We are just trying to get a sample of fluid from the baby to test how strong its lungs are. I was relieved listening to the doctor explain the procedure. If the baby’s lungs are strong enough we’ll induce labor and you’ll have the baby early. When he had finished, I was told as soon as the test results were ready I would be contacted. I went home and lay down because the baby was kicking and it was hurting my stomach. Damien came home and woke me from a sound sleep. Nicole, Nicole! The doctor has been calling you. You need to go back to the hospital so they can deliver the baby. I was glad to hear those words coming from my husband’s mouth even though I had still been a little shaken from being awakened by him. Thank God. The doctor told Damien the baby’s lungs were strong enough for him to induce labor. We headed to the hospital prepared to have a baby. Once we arrived, they checked me into a room. Damien was told that they would deliver the baby between morning and noon. I fell asleep that night in the hospital anxiously waiting for morning to come. Around six am the nurse entered my room to get me ready to have the baby. They brought a stretcher into the room. As they rolled me out of the room, I saw my mother and Damien walking along side of me. As we approached the delivery room doors, I told them that I would talk to them later. The birth of my child was clean and everything was all right with him. In my case, the doctor hadn’t treated the infection the way they said they would. The antibiotics they had given me were not working and the infection had spread all over my body. My brother heard how sick I was and came up to see me. I couldn’t even change my sanitary pads but my brother helped me. I never thought the day would come where I would be so helpless my own brother would have to help me with such a personal matter. I didn’t even know he would help me like that. My grandmother came out to see me a few days later. My condition was getting progressively worse. My grandmother would sit with me and put the bible underneath my pillow opened to a scripture. She was praying all over me and her energy filled the room. She had given me a doll that looked like a nurse. You always wanted to be an RN. What are you going to do when you get out of here? When my grandmother asked that question, I didn’t respond. The medication kept me straddling the line of consciousness and unconsciousness.

One day when my grandmother came to see me, she didn’t like the way I looked so she called my mother. Something is wrong with Nicole and you need to come out here quick. She also called Damien to let him know what was going on with me. She hung up the phone and began praying again, Lord please help my granddaughter. Damien and my mother walked through the door, came to my bed, and shook me. I opened my eyes long enough to tell Damien to take care of the baby because I felt like I was going out. My mother came close to my bed. I closed my eyes but I spoke to her. Thank you for everything you have done for me and help Damien with my son… She cut me off, Don’t talk like that. You ain’t going no where. I told my grandmother that I was going somewhere I had never been before and that I didn’t think I was coming back. She took my hand and patted it, Baby, you are going to be alright. She put her hand over my forehead and drew a cross over it. She began to pray over me again. Damien and my mother had run out of the room to the nurse’s station. They started yelling, Get the doctor in her room now! The nurse called for the doctor to come down then she came into my room to check on me. I had a very high fever and my pulse was dropping. The nurse got on the phone and called the doctor again. The nurse stayed by my side until the doctors arrived. They started hooking up IV and checking on me. They swarmed around me as if I were a hive. The doctors buzzed about. Bring in a pan of ice; her fever is too high one said. Put the ice chips into her mouth before the medicine is inserted into the IV. Another one put ice chips in my mouth once they arrived. The one buzzing orders injected the meds into the IV. I passed out as they were hooking the IV up in my other arm. The doctor told Damien as he stared at the IVs hooked up in both of my arms, It’s going to take a couple of days for the medicine to work because the infection has spread. My mother was angry with the doctors. Y’all promised to take care of the infection once you took the baby but ya lied. The doctor turned to my mother, No we didn’t. We gave her an antibiotic but it just didn’t work. My mother still wasn’t pleased with his answer, Didn’t y’all know the infection was going to get worse once you cut her with that knife? The doctor tried to maintain a calm demeanor, No we didn’t know the infection was going to get worse but we are doing all that we can to help her. She will be monitored around the clock with double doses of another antibiotic. She is going to be okay in a couple of days. I went out that day in the hospital. After I said good-bye to my family, I saw a big bright light and went into a tunnel. I was in that luminous tunnel for a while. I was afraid to slide down the tunnel and before I knew it I had awakened. My grandmother was sitting in my room next to my bed reading the bible. How long was I out? My grandmother smiled at me, Only a couple of days, sweetheart. Your eyes opened just a little but I know you wasn’t here. Then she called my mother and let her know I was awake. How can an infection make you that sick, I asked her. She looked up and held her bible close to her bosom, I don’t know but the heavenly father knows."

Later on that day, Damien and my mother visited and there were hugs all around. My mother said, I thought you was gone for sure girl. I looked at her and replied, My heavenly father knows best. I got well enough to leave the hospital. I’m going to stay with you until you get on your feet, my grandmother said. I thanked God for my grandmother. I knew it was my heavenly father that kept me.

TWO

Brotherly Love

O ne day my sister, Jasmine, came to me and said, We’re going to give the football team at my school a party. Jasmine asked, Can you help with serving the food? I asked what day the party supposed to take place. It’s gonna be next Friday, can you make it?

I have something to do that day but when I finish I might come up there to see you all, I told her. Three days later Aunt Gwen telephoned me and told me she would be serving food at the party and would see me there. I told her that I told Jasmine that I had something to do and I may not make it to the party. Aunt Gwen was surprised, Jasmine didn’t tell me you had something to do. She acted as if you would be there. I’ll get somebody else to help me. The next day Jasmine and Kirk came in through my front door. How’s your mother doing? I asked him. He smiled and returned the hug I had given him, She’s doing fine. I told him he was a good person. God first then my mother and when I get married it’s going to be God first then my wife and children then my mother. I will always love my mother Mrs. Smith, Kirk said very humbly. Kirk, you don’t have to call me Mrs. Smith. You and Jasmine are not that much younger than me. You’re like a younger brother to me. You will always be my younger brother. Kirk looked misty eyed but tried to produce a smile, Thank you Nicole. You just made my day. Your family has always treated me like family and that’s why I like coming around. I love all of your family. Kirk, that’s what friends are for; being family to one another. You don’t have to call, just come on by, you’re always welcome at my house, I told him. Kirk hugged me again and Jasmine started hugging me too. I love you guys, Jasmine told us. Kirk broke the embrace and asked, Mrs. Smith you not coming to the party?

I will try to get out of my meeting early. I can’t promise you but I will try for you, I told him. Kirk said that was good enough for him. Bye Nicole and thank you. I’m going to run that ball and score a touchdown for you Nicole and if I don’t someone will run a touchdown for you. I said thanks and went to sit on the sofa after they had left. I was thinking of how hard it was to find good friends like Kirk. He is a very respectable young man and I was glad Jasmine had a real friend like Kirk to watch over her. When I went to bed that night I thanked God for sending