A Shock of Surprise, Terror and More

A SHOCK OF SURPRISE

The prompt word for Day 8 of #write28days is shock. At first, I couldn’t think of anything to write. So, I looked up the definition on Rhymezone. I had a shock of surprise when I saw how many definitions there were! Some are similar to others, but some have nothing in common. I thought it might be fun to write a list poem in the style of haiku. This is the result and it doesn’t even cover all the definitions.

A shock of surprise
Shocks of grain stand in a field
An electric shock

The shock of battle
The aftershocks of earthquakes
A shock of terror

The shocks in a car
A thick, swirly shock of hair
The shock of trauma

I’m happy to say that I don’t really have a shock of terror to share, at least not that I can think of. Yet, many things in my life have surprised me in both happy and sad ways. Probably most of us have experienced trauma of one kind or another. If we are injured our bodies may go in to shock, which can be life-threatening if not treated.

I said I didn’t have a particular incident to share, but as I’ve been writing, something has come to my memory. This experience caused me to start to go into shock, but it was caught and treated while I was in the emergency room. It happened over 35 years ago. Let me explain.

***If you’ve ever been traumatized with dog bites, you might want to skip on to the last heading: GOD’S MERCY AND PROVISION***

A DOG ENTANGLED

We had recently acquired a large dog, a Malamute. For the most part he was a loving, friendly pet. Since we didn’t have a fence, we had him tied to a run in the yard so that he could have some freedom yet not escape. This seemed to work well until it didn’t.

I heard him barking, so I looked out to see what the problem was. Poor thing had gotten himself so tangled up that he way lying on his back and his legs were tangled in the rope. Well, of course I wanted to help him.

My two younger girls were home with me, and I knew they’d be okay in the house for a few minutes while I went out. Yes, they were fine, but it turns out that I wasn’t.

A RESCUE GONE BAD

I went out to him to try to get him untangled, but as he was already traumatized, he didn’t realize I was trying to help. Suddenly he got hold of my hands and started biting. I tried to get away but just couldn’t seem to get loose. I screamed, but no one heard me. Most of the neighbors weren’t very close, and the lady across the street wasn’t home.

Finally, I got my hands loose, but when I turned to try to get away he managed to grab my leg, causing some scratches. I finally got away and somehow managed to get back into the house. (That was hard, because we had a big, glass sliding door that was heavy and didn’t move easily).

Once inside, I threw a towel over my hands and proceeded to call my husband at work.  Then I called a neighbor. Because my hands were injured, it was very difficult to hold the phone and make the calls, but somehow, I did it. I must have sounded pretty upset, and at first, the neighbor didn’t know who I was.

Once she realized what had happened, she acted quickly. After calling another neighbor to come care for my two young girls, she took me to the ER. How thankful I was for my neighbors and for how quickly they helped! Another surprise was how quickly my husband was able to leave school and get to the hospital to be with me. I sure was glad to see him.

GOD’S MERCY AND PROVISION

As I began writing about that traumatic experience, my heart actually started racing. It was as if I was experiencing it all over again. I stopped and chatted with my friend, Bettie. She prayed for me and helped me work through the emotions that seemed to come like a flood. We talked about how God uses our traumatic experiences, not only to experience His comfort, but to help us empathize with and comfort others.

Looking back, I see God’s provision all through that experience. We had recently moved to that area and didn’t know many of our neighbors. Yet, just a few days before, a neighbor stopped by and introduced herself. She gave me her phone number and said to call if ever I needed anything. All our numbers had the same first 3 digits, so she gave me the last 4 which were easy to remember – 7272. So, on that day when I got hurt, her number came to mind.

When we called my parents, they got a flight and arrived very late that night. They stayed for two weeks. I couldn’t use my hands and couldn’t get comfortable in bed, so I slept on the couch. One of my greatest fears was that I wouldn’t be able to play the piano again, but after a few weeks my hands healed. I still have scars, but they have mostly faded.

Though I experienced a shock of surprise and trauma, I knew I was not alone. God provided through friends and family. Surely, He was upholding me throughout the whole ordeal.

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.

(Isaiah 41:10)

I’m linking up with: #Let’sHaveCoffee

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