A/N: See Chapter 1 for Disclaimer.
Chapter Summary: Louise Jefferson gets a very sudden, very unexpected refresher course in midwifery.
Chapter 11: Déjà vu
Over the next eleven years, Will and Hannah worked their tails off through high school and college, and they worked just as hard through medical school and their residency. To their parents' dismay, they were always so engrossed in their studies and their work at the hospital that they didn't even try to make time for relationships. Both of them were married to their work, and that was an understatement. But as far as Joy was concerned, George and Louise had the opposite problem.
Joy and Noah remained the best of friends as they grew up together, and they started dating in high school when they were sixteen. And three years later, when Joy was nineteen and a sophomore in college, she and Noah got engaged – something Louise and George did not approve of. Even though Lionel also got engaged in college, he'd been a little older than Joy at the time, and George and Louise just did not like the idea of their teenage daughter being in such a serious relationship so soon. But Joy and Noah stayed true to one another through the rest of Joy's college years, and a few weeks after her college graduation, they got married at the age of twenty-two. Noah joined the Navy right out of high school and trained to be a medic in the service like his father and grandfather before him, and as he completed all his necessary training, he patiently waited for Joy to graduate from college, hoping that the long engagement would cause her parents and his to be more accepting of their relationship. And after her college graduation and her ensuing wedding, Joy, who absolutely adored children, became a kindergarten teacher. And at the end of the day, Louise and George really were proud of Joy and Noah, and they realized that the young couple truly did belong together.
Joy and Noah remained in Manhattan near their families for the first two years after they got married. During that time, Will and Hannah also completed their residencies at one of the local hospitals in the area. Then unfortunately, all three of the Jeffersons' children were forced by circumstances to break their parents' hearts and leave New York. Noah got stationed in Hong Kong, leaving him and Joy no choice but to relocate there. And Will and Hannah confessed to their parents that they'd felt the Lord tugging at their hearts for many years to join their church's missionary group in Nigeria and use their medical skills to help those in the world who needed their skills the most. And most importantly of all, they wanted to help spread the gospel. Their children's decision to move overseas was very hard for George and Louise to accept, and when they left New York, they both cried oceans of tears, as did Florence. But even though it was difficult for them to accept, they did accept it because they knew their children were doing the right thing, and they were so very proud of all of them.
"I can only imagine how proud you must be of those wonderful kids of yours, Louise," Helen told her best friend as she sat at the dining table drinking coffee with her and Florence one morning a couple of months after all the kids had left New York. It was late September of 2003, and Louise was seventy-one and the now retired George was seventy-three, but they were both in very good health for their ages and they truly did not look like they were a couple in their seventies.
"Oh, I am proud, Helen. I am," said Louise with a smile. "I'm so proud of all three of my children for what they're doing with their lives. I've got a son who's both a missionary and a cardiothoracic surgeon, a daughter who's both a missionary and an OB/GYN, and another daughter who's helping to give so many precious little children a good education. Not every mother can say things like that about her children."
"That's true," Helen agreed.
"But you know, I honestly never thought that I would end up with two children in Nigeria and one child in Hong Kong. I also never thought that my two oldest children would tell me that they felt called by God to be single for their entire lives. Especially after Joy was born, I was certain for a long time that George and I would eventually be blessed with grandchildren."
"Don't let it worry you, Louise," Helen told her. "There's still plenty of time for Will and Hannah to change their minds and get married and have children someday. They're only twenty-six. Jenny made Tom and me wait forever and a day before she finally started giving us grandchildren, and so did Allan." Jenny married Dr. Martin Russell during her twenties and became a homemaker, but she and her husband didn't start having children until Jenny was well into her thirties. They went on to have three daughters and one son. And Allan didn't get married until he turned thirty-eight in 1990, and the following year, he and his wife gave Tom and Helen a grandson.
"Alright, Miss Grandmother of Five. Don't rub it in," Louise teased while Helen laughed.
"Well with all due respect, Ms. Jefferson, I don't think you're bein' fair," Florence told Louise. "Don't get me wrong. It's wonderful to have grandchildren, and I don't blame you, Ms. Jefferson, for wantin' to become a grandma. Everybody wants to have grandchildren someday. I understand all that. But you have to remember that the Apostle Paul said that it was actually better for someone to remain single and devote his whole life to serving the Lord than it was for him to get married. There's nothin' wrong with gettin' married if that's what the Lord has called you to do. There's nothin' wrong with havin' a family. But the church as a whole has been absolutely horrible in their attitude towards those of us who have been called to be single and devote our whole lives to the Lord, as Will and Hannah and I have. So many Christians have the attitude that if you don't get married and have children, you're an automatic loser. They especially have that attitude if you're a woman. I wanted to get married for many years, but after I moved in with y'all and started workin' for y'all full-time, I came to love it. I loved helpin' y'all take care of your children. I loved it more than anything. And I eventually realized that even if Mr. Right did come along in my life and asked me to marry him, I wouldn't wanna say yes because I wouldn't wanna leave you and Mr. Jefferson. I realized that it was my calling in life to help y'all raise your family. And you should remember, Ms. Jefferson, how you dedicated Will and Hannah to the Lord when they were born."
"Well yes, I did, but I guess I was hoping that the Lord would use them in powerful ways all throughout their lives while they were married and giving me grandchildren," Louise admitted. "But I know you're right, Florence. A lot of people really are so bad about looking down on those who are single and childless, professing Christians in particular. And especially when it comes to looking down on single and childless women, professing Christians are the world's worst. God forgive me; when it comes to my own children, I'm the world's worst. Even though I am so, so proud of Will and Hannah, I have to admit that I really have been disappointed in them for wanting to stay single and just focus solely on their missionary work."
"On the Lord's work," said Florence.
"Right. On the Lord's work," Louise agreed. "Thank you for bringing that to my attention, Florence. That's an attitude within myself that I know I really need to change. I know that Will and Hannah are doing the right thing. I know they're doing what Jesus has called them to do, and I know that at the end of the day, following the Lord's calling on their lives is way more important than anything else, even grandchildren."
"That's right," Florence concurred.
"Still, though, we can't be too hard on Louise for hoping and wishing for grandchildren," said Helen. "Who knows? Maybe one of these days, Joy and Noah will decide to adopt a child."
"Maybe, but if they do, I doubt it'll happen anytime soon," said Louise. "Joy's told me before that if she and Noah ever do adopt a child, she would want to give up her teaching career and be a stay-at-home mom. And I highly doubt Joy's going to be ready to quit teaching at any time during the near future because she absolutely adores it. Joy loves teaching little children."
"Well, you know the old saying: good things come to those who wait. You and George had to wait a good long time before you finally had Will, Hannah, and Joy. You may have to wait a while longer before Joy and Noah make you two grandparents. But you just hang in there, girl. It'll happen sooner or later, and when it does, it'll be worth the wait."
Louise smiled and said, "You're right, Helen. It's hard for George and me, but we do need to remember to be patient. Lord willing, we'll get a grandchild one of these days. But in the meantime, I'm going to remember to just appreciate the wonderful children I already have, the innumerable blessings I already have, and be grateful."
"Good for you, Ms. Jefferson," said Florence with a smile.
"Ladies, I'd like to propose a toast," said Helen as she held up our coffee cup. "Here's to all our God-given blessings. May we always remember to be grateful for each and every one of them."
"Hear, hear!" Louise said aloud, and then she and Florence clinked their coffee cups with Helen's and smiled.
The next six years flew by at lightning speed. During that time, Will and Hannah continued their missionary work throughout the continent of Africa and throughout India as well, and Joy continued to follow her husband as he was stationed all over the world, touching many precious little lives wherever they went. During that time, Noah continued working as a medic and he also decided to go to college, and within five years, he got his master's degree in theology and became a Navy chaplain. And when Noah was stationed in New York once again and they returned to Manhattan in January of 2010, shortly after Joy's thirty-first birthday, Louise and George were beyond thrilled, and that was putting it mildly. But their elation was short-lived, because just one week after their return, something went wrong with Joy.
Over the past year, Joy hadn't been able to exercise much because of her asthma, and that in turn caused her to become much more sedentary and gain weight. And despite the fact that she frequently felt nauseous and just plain ill all over, she did put on quite a bit. And the instant Louise saw Joy when she came over to visit at five o'clock in the evening on the eleventh of January, a Monday, she could tell just by looking at her that she wasn't sick from some twenty-four-hour bug or even from something as serious as asthma. Louise could tell that the problem was worse than that. Something was wrong with her daughter. Something was horribly wrong.
Joy had told Louise the day before that she would come over and visit, and she'd intended to do so as soon as school let out for the day. But the moment she woke up that day, she started experiencing the worst back pains and stomach pains she'd ever felt in her life, and she had to call in sick and request for a substitute teacher to fill in for her. She stayed in bed throughout the day, hoping the pain would eventually subside, but then at twenty 'til five, she realized the pain probably wasn't going to improve anytime soon. Furthermore, she really did have her heart set on visiting her parents that day, and she knew how much it meant to her now seventy-seven-year-old mother and seventy-nine-year-old father for her and her husband to visit them frequently. And despite all her pain, she didn't want to let them down, so she took a bus to her parents' apartment.
"I'm sorry I'm so late, Mom," Joy told Louise as soon as she answered the door.
"Honey, are you alright?" Louise asked as she and Joy walked into the living room together.
After they sat down on the couch, Joy responded, "I've been getting the most awful pains in my back and stomach all day long. I ended up calling in sick and spending the day in bed, just hoping that it would get better, but it hasn't."
Louise put her arm around Joy's shoulders then and said, "Sweetheart, I'm worried. It looks like you're in agony."
"Where's Dad and Florence?" Joy asked.
"Your father's up at the Willises' apartment right now. He had to go upstairs and see Tom about something. And Florence went out to visit a friend of hers."
"So it's just you and me for a while, huh?" Joy said with a smile, but then she winced, and Louise could tell that she was hurting very badly.
"Joy, I think we need to get you to the hospital. I think you need to see a doctor."
"Ugh. I hate hospitals. The last time I was in a hospital, they told me I had cancer. Ever since I got out of the hospital after my bone marrow transplant, I make it a point to avoid hospitals at all costs."
"You're being silly, little girl. You're being silly just like your father. Come on. I'm taking you to the emergency room right now," said Louise as she got up from the couch. "Come on, sweetheart. Get up."
Before Joy could attempt to get up on her feet, though, a great deal of fluid suddenly gushed out from her groin.
"What was that?! What the heck just happened?!" Joy gasped.
Louise remained in stunned silence for the next couple of moments as she began to realize what was happening to her daughter. She then said quietly to herself, "Déjà vu."
"Déjà vu? What are you talking about?"
"Sweetheart, listen to me. Your water just broke," Louise told her.
"What?! But that's impossible! I'm not even pregnant!"
"Oh, yes you are," Louise insisted.
"But the doctors told us I'd never have a baby! Don't you remember?"
"Oh, I remember what the doctors told us, little one. But you are definitely my daughter. The odds were stacked against me when I had Will and Hannah and then you, and right up to the morning of your birth, I didn't have the slightest notion that I might actually be pregnant."
"I'm having a baby? I'm really, really about to have a baby right now?" Joy said incredulously.
"You're really, really about to have a baby right now, my love," said Louise.
"Oh, my Lord. Mommy, I'm scared. I'm so scared. Women die in childbirth."
"You're not going to die, little one. I promise. Mommy's going to be right here with you every second through this whole thing."
"Every second?"
"Every second," Louise assured her. "Do you think you can make it out to the lobby downstairs, sweetie?"
Joy shook her head and told her mother, "I don't think so. It's really hard to try to stand and walk right now."
"Okay. If you'll lean on me, I'll help you get into the bedroom where you can lie down, and then I'll call 9-1-1."
Joy nodded, and then with Louise's help, she managed to get up off the couch and walk into her parents' bedroom. Once they were in there, Louise pulled back the covers and helped Joy get into bed, and then she called for an ambulance.
Right after Louise hung up the phone, Joy said, "Oh Mommy, what do we do if the paramedics don't get here in time and the baby comes?"
"It's alright, little one. It's alright. Don't worry. Everything's going to be alright. I promise."
"Mommy, this is terrible! This is so terrible!" Joy cried out as tears came to her eyes.
"No, it's not, sweetheart. Having a baby is a wonderful thing," Louise insisted, and then she walked into the bathroom and took off the bracelet she was wearing and all the rings she had on her fingers, and she rolled up her sleeves and washed her hands, and after that, she got a bunch of big towels and brought them out and set them down on the bed beside Joy. She was certainly hoping that the paramedics would arrive in time, but she knew she had to be prepared in case they didn't. Louise remembered the past all too well, and she knew that there was a real possibility that she might have to deliver her own grandchild now, just as she had delivered her own daughter into the world thirty-one years ago.
"No, it's not wonderful, either. It's terrible. I'm completely unprepared. I don't have any bottles or formula or diapers or baby wipes," Joy said as she continued to cry. "I don't have any baby clothes. The baby's going to be hungry and naked, and the lack of clothes is going to make it cold, and the cold is going to make it get sick, and it's going to hate me because it was my fault it got sick, and it's going to ruin our whole relationship for the rest of our lives. I don't have any experience being a mom and I'm going to be awful at it because of my lack of experience and I'm going to scar it for life and it's really going to hate me for it and it'll never, ever forgive me."
Louise lovingly laughed, and then she sat down on the bed in front of Joy and hugged her. In those moments, Louise remembered all too well how terrified she had been thirty-one years ago when she realized Joy was coming, and she also remembered how she'd been even more scared during her first labor when she had Lionel. At least Louise had had prior birthing experience when she'd gone into labor with Joy without knowing she'd been pregnant in advance. Not only did Joy have to give birth now without knowing that she'd been pregnant; this was her first baby. Louise knew it was no wonder that Joy was so scared right now.
With Joy still in her embrace, Louise told her, "It's alright, little one. It's alright."
"No, it's not!" Joy cried out, still sobbing.
"Oh, yes it is, little one. It's alright. Everything's going to be just fine. Listen to me now. Listen to Mommy," said Louise, and then the embrace ended, and Louise looked her daughter in the eyes. In the next moment, she told her, "Nobody loves little children more than you, my love. When it comes to children, you have got a special, God-given gift. I've seen it. You are going to be such a wonderful mother to this baby and it is going to be so blessed to have you for a mommy. And don't you worry about bottles and diapers and all those other things. We'll take care of all that. This baby is going to have everything it needs. I promise you."
"I don't know how you do it, Mommy, but you always end up saying exactly what I need to hear."
Louise smiled and hugged Joy once again. Then as Joy was holding onto her mother, she suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to push, and she grunted and bore down as her body told her to do.
"Good job, sweetie. Good job," Louise told Joy as she was still clinging to her.
"Oh Mom, I think I feel its head."
"It's alright, love. It's alright. Mommy's here," Louise assured her, and then after finally letting go of Joy, she took off her shoes, pants, and underwear, and after that, she quickly covered her lower half with a big beige towel. A couple of moments later, Joy grunted and pushed again, and it was then that Louise looked and saw that her grandchild's head was crowning. "You're doing great, Joy. You're doing just great. I see it, sweetheart. I see the baby's head," Louise told Joy.
"For real?"
"For real. I see it. It's right there. Now listen to me, love. We don't want the head to come too quickly or you'll hurt yourself. Try not to push too hard now, alright?" said Louise, and Joy nodded.
In the next few moments, Joy gave several light pushes, and then the head was born.
"Great job, Joy! You got the head out," Louise told her happily. "You're doing beautifully, sweetie. You're doing so well. I'm so proud of you. The baby's almost out. You're almost there."
"For real, Mommy?"
"For real, baby," Louise said with a loving laugh. "You're going to be holding your little one any second now."
In the next moment, Joy gave one final big push, and then the baby came out into Louise's arms.
"It's a girl!" Louise announced, and then the newborn began to cry, causing her mother and grandmother to joyfully cry with her. After placing the baby on her mommy's chest, Louise quickly grabbed two large pink towels and wrapped her newborn granddaughter up in them so she wouldn't get cold, just as she'd done with Joy when she was first born, giving her an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. But as far as déjà vu was concerned, Louise hadn't seen anything yet.
Over the next couple of minutes, Louise took some shoelaces out of one of George's tennis shoes and tied off the umbilical cord and cut it, and very soon after that, the afterbirth was delivered and Louise disposed of it. But as soon as Louise thought she could begin to relax and wait for the paramedics, Joy's water actually broke once again, and of course, Louise knew exactly what that meant.
"Joy, baby, your water just broke again. We're having another baby, honey," Louise told her.
"I'm having twins?! Wait! This is impossible!"
"After over two decades of infertility, it was 'impossible' for me to get pregnant and have a baby at forty-six, but here you are," Louise quipped.
"I don't believe it! This is insane!" Joy cried out as Louise gently took the baby girl from her arms and set her down on the bed right beside her.
"We'll talk about the insanity of all of this later, little one. Right now, I need you to focus for me, alright?"
Joy nodded then and said, "Alright."
In the next moment, Joy once again felt the need to push, and she began to bear down. "Great job, Joy! That's it! Push!" Louise told her. Joy pushed again a few seconds later, and then Louise said, "Great job, little one. I see the baby's head. You're doing great! It's going to be out soon, sweetheart. You're doing a wonderful job."
"I wish this was over with. It really hurts."
"I know it hurts, little one. I know. But just hang in there. It's almost over," Louise said lovingly. Joy then gave a few small pushes and the head was delivered. "Good job, love. The head's out now," Louise told her.
"Mommy, I'm dying," Joy said as she cried.
"I know it feels that way, little one, but you're not dying. I promise you," Louise assured her. Then in the next moment, Joy gave a very hard push, and the rest of the baby came out and Louise caught it in her arms. And a few seconds later, the room was once again filled with the sounds of a crying newborn. "It's a boy, sweetheart," Louise told Joy with the most joyous tears streaming down her face, and Joy immediately started crying more joyous tears with her mother.
Once Louise placed her newborn grandson on Joy's chest, she grabbed two big blue towels that were in the stack on the bed and she wrapped him up in them. After that, she got some more shoelaces and tied off and cut the umbilical cord, and when the placenta came a couple of minutes later, she disposed of it. Several moments later, Joy asked Louise to call Noah and tell him what had just happened, and once Louise finished talking to him, she spoke to her husband as well. And then after having been slowed down by all the ice and sleet and snow on the wintry roads that day, the paramedics finally arrived.
After the paramedics got there, they gave Joy and the newborn babies a quick examination, and they told Joy and Louise that so far, their color was excellent and they appeared to be doing well. However, they noted their small size and told them that they suspected that the babies were born around seven weeks early. Then after transferring Joy and the babies from the bed to the gurney, they pushed the gurney out of the master bedroom into the living room, and Louise followed. Moments later, George came through the door, and to say the very least, he was completely flabbergasted when he saw Joy lying on the gurney holding her two newborn babies.
"Joy?!" George gasped as he stared at Joy and the tiny infants. Both of the twins had Joy's and Louise's darker skin tone, and they were absolutely gorgeous as their mother and grandmother were.
Joy looked at her father with a big smile and said, "Hello, Grandpa."
"Grandpa?" George said in disbelief.
Louise came up to him then and told him, "George, permit me to introduce you to your two new grandchildren. Say hello to your granddaughter, Kathryn Faith, and your grandson, Michael John. Joy named them after us and after Noah's parents using all our middle names. We called Noah right after they were born and he agreed to it. He's going to be meeting all of us at the hospital." Louise's middle name was Kathryn and George's middle name was Michael, and the Waltons' middle names were Faith and John, and both Joy and Noah thought it was a lovely idea to use all their parents' middle names to name their children.
"Daddy, do you remember how Mom didn't even know she was pregnant with me until the morning I was born?"
"Yeah."
"Well let's just say that I'm my mother's daughter twice over."
"Yeah, she didn't just give birth to one surprise baby; she gave birth to two," said Louise with a laugh. "The birth was a huge déjà vu for me. It reminded me so much of Joy's birth, and it also reminded me of when I gave birth to Will and Hannah."
"Did you guys deliver them?" asked George, speaking to the paramedics. They were two tall, slim men, one of them black and one of them white.
"No sir, we did not," the black paramedic answered with a chuckle.
"Mom delivered them, Daddy," Joy told him. "She was amazing. She was just amazing."
Louise smiled at her daughter in that moment and said, "No, little one. You were amazing."
"You're both amazing," George whispered as he also began experiencing a moment of déjà vu, recalling how awestruck he'd been when he'd looked into Joy's sweet little face and held her in his arms for the first time. Now, he was equally awestruck at the sight of his precious new grandchildren.
"Well anyway, I think we need to get Joy and the babies to the hospital now," Louise told George.
"Yeah Weezy, you're right; you're right. Let's go," said George, and then they all headed to the hospital. There, they learned that Baby Kathryn weighed four pounds, fifteen ounces, and that Baby Michael weighed five pounds, three ounces. After the OB/GYN at the hospital examined Joy and the babies, he confirmed that Joy was fine and that the babies were perfectly healthy, even though they were around seven weeks premature. Then after a little while in the hospital, Joy and the babies were sent home, and Joy, Noah, Louise, and George began relishing their new lives as parents and grandparents.
Right after twins Katie and Mike were born, Noah left the Navy and became a chaplain at the children's hospital where Joy had been during her fight against leukemia. Noah and Joy both fervently agreed that with them having children in their lives now, it was time for them to stay settled in one place and not be constantly moving from place to place to place all over the world. They wanted their children to have stability. They also wanted them to always have a parent there with them at all times to take care of them, so Joy quit her job as a kindergarten teacher and became a stay-at-home mom. And in addition to those things, Joy and Noah definitely wanted to be near their parents and for their children to be near their grandparents. It was at their wealthy parents' insistence that Joy and Noah allowed them to buy them a huge, beautiful five-bedroom house that was close to where Noah's mother and father lived, as a gift in honor of the twins' birth. And it was at Joy's insistence that Louise, George, and Florence all left their high-rise apartment and moved in with them. Now that they were in their late seventies, Joy really worried about them and she didn't want them living by themselves anymore. And Louise and George were more than thrilled to be living with their new grandbabies and with Joy and Noah, and so was Florence.
And with their new grandbabies in their lives, there was never a dull moment. Even though Louise and George were now in their sunset years, life with their daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren was always lively and busy. There was always so much life in their house, and Louise and George loved that. And all the busy-ness of their lives ensured that time flew by faster than ever for them.
The following eleven years passed by in the blink of an eye for Louise and George, and before they knew it, Louise was eighty-eight, George was ninety, Will and Hannah were forty-four, Joy was forty-two, and Katie and Mike were eleven. Three years after the twins were born, Joy and Noah adopted a newborn baby girl from China, and they named her Eden Aurora, and today, Eden was now eight years-old. And a couple of months after Joy and Noah adopted Eden, Will and Hannah made their parents so very happy when they returned to New York and began working at a clinic for low-income families in Harlem while continuing their missionary work with a Harlem church.
But even though Louise and George experienced great joy during those eleven years, watching their dear little grandchildren growing up, now in the era of the coronavirus, things were very worrisome once again. Will and Hannah had had to take vaccines over the years in order to do their missionary work in so many countries overseas, but now, they were alarmed to see so many of their colleagues being forced or intimidated out of their jobs because they didn't want to take the experimental vaccine for the coronavirus. Louise, George, and the rest of the family was equally alarmed to see so many people being bullied out of their jobs and careers simply because they didn't want to be guinea pigs for the U.S. government. Will and Hannah naturally knew that a vaccine typically had to be in testing for years before it could be available to the public, and the coronavirus vaccine had been in testing for far less time than a usual vaccine would be. That fact in and of itself was deeply disturbing to say the least, and the government's continual attempts to either bribe or bully people into playing Russian roulette with their long-term health were even more disturbing.
"This is how I feel about 'the jab,' as some people are calling it," said Florence one Saturday in late 2021 as she, Louise, George, Joy, and Noah sat around at their dining table talking with each other and with Will and Hannah, who were also there that day. "I know some Christians are saying it's the Mark of the Beast. I personally don't believe it's the Mark of the Beast yet. But I think this 'jab' is a big step down the path to the Mark of the Beast in my opinion. The way people are losing their jobs over this thing, the way it's getting to where we soon might not be able to buy or sell without it just sends chills down my spine. It's my understanding that the Mark of the Beast is something that has to be taken in the right hand or in the forehead, so like I said, I don't believe that this is the Mark of the Beast yet. But I do believe there will come a time when this vaccine will somehow be turned into something that is taken in the right hand or in the forehead that people all over the world will have to have in order to buy and sell, and when that day comes, it will be the Mark of the Beast. And at the rate we're going, I believe that day just might get here a lot sooner than most people think."
"I think so too, Florence," Louise agreed. "And I agree with you when you say that the way it's getting to where we soon won't be able to buy or sell without this vaccine sends chills down your spine. It sends chills down my spine, too. The book of Revelation talks about how there will be a one world government and a one world religion and a one world economy, and we're seeing those things being set up right here, right now, before our very eyes. I look at what's happening in the world today and it astonishes me that there are people who don't take the Bible seriously."
"I feel the same way, Mama," said Will.
"And so do I," said Hannah. "Many people willfully choose to stay blind to what's right in front of their faces. And many people keep their eyes closed because they're too terrified to look."
"That's true," George agreed. "I just wish I wasn't retired now. I wish I hadn't sold the business. I know if I still had Jefferson Cleaners, I wouldn't let the government intimidate me into firin' any of my employees who didn't wanna take 'the jab.' I understand people bein' scared of the coronavirus and all, but this is a risky experimental vaccine, and nobody should have to lose their job if they don't wanna take it. It ain't none of the government's business if somebody wants to take an experimental vaccine or not."
"Right on, Dad," said Noah. "I just feel so bad for people who are losing their jobs and their careers, and I can't thank God enough that I haven't been forced out of my job at the hospital over this thing yet like several of my friends have."
"And I can't thank God enough that we're in a position where I'm able to stay at home and homeschool our children," said Joy. "Nobody, no school, no government, is going to intimidate me into putting experimental vaccines into my children. And that's just where this is headed. The government isn't happy that many adults have taken this thing; they've got to try to start putting it in our children, too. There will probably come a time when not even children will be able to go school without getting this experimental vaccine in my opinion, and that's so scary to think about."
"It certainly is," said Louise. "And like George said, it's not any of the government's business if we want to put this thing into our bodies and our children's bodies or not. The question of getting this vaccine or not is a private matter between an individual, their doctor, and God. Or it should be a private matter, anyway. And what I would like to know is, if this vaccine against the coronavirus really is so effective, why do the vaccinated have to still wear masks, and why are the vaccinated so scared to be around the unvaccinated? If this thing truly worked, wouldn't the vaccinated be protected?"
"Bingo!" Will said aloud.
"And if this thing truly worked, why do people need booster shots every other second?" asked George.
"That's another good question," said Florence.
"These are such crazy, scary times," Louise said with a sigh. "People keep going on about how they want to 'get back to normal,' but I don't think normal is ever coming back. End-times Bible prophecy is coming alive like never before. It's not a popular thing to say, not even in churches that are supposedly filled with Christians who should welcome it, but the truth is, we're probably right on the doorstep of the Rapture."
"Preach it, child!" Florence said aloud.
"We probably don't have nearly as much time left in this world as most people – most professing Christians – think we do," said Louise.
"We probably don't," Hannah agreed.
"When George and I lost Lionel, it really made me understand just how unpredictable and fragile life in this world can really be. The vast majority of people take their lives on this earth for granted, but our lives and the lives of the people we love can be gone in the blink of an eye. Whether the Rapture is as close as I think it is or not, it still doesn't change the fact that it is absolutely vital to know where you stand with the Almighty God and where you're going to be spending eternity. Because you don't want to get left behind and end up going through the seven-year Tribulation, experiencing God's wrath on earth after the Rapture, and you definitely don't want to end up in the lake of fire forever."
"I know that's right," Will agreed. "Life on this earth can be more fragile than glass, and it really can be gone in the blink of an eye, and nothing is more important than knowing where you're going to be spending eternity."
"And for those of us who do know we're going to be spending eternity with Jesus, it's more important than ever that we remember to love and appreciate Christ and all the people we love and all the blessings we still have in this insane world we're living in," Hannah added.
"Even though these are such terrifying times, I know I have to remember that the good Lord has gotten George and me through so many things," Louise told them truthfully. "The loss of our son. A miscarriage and so many years of infertility. All those years of poverty in Harlem. All those months I was in a coma. Joy's leukemia. And I know He's going to get us through all of today's insanity, too. He's never once abandoned us, and I know He never will."
"Never," said George, and then he took Louise's hand and kissed it.
In the following moments, Katie, Mike, and Eden came running downstairs, and then they ran through the dining room making all sorts of racket, and all the adults laughed and smiled. Joy then grabbed Mike and Noah grabbed Katie and they started tickling them and loving on them, and Louise and George grabbed Eden and did the same thing to her. And in those moments, they thanked Jesus for all their blessings. No matter how tough or how insane things got, they all knew they would never stop being grateful for all the blessings the good Lord had showered them with. And no matter what, they would never stop trusting Him.