The Restoration of Nell “Real Life” by Glo Harbison High school had just let out in Alto, Texas. Shrill outbursts of freedom peeled like thunder into the lazy atmosphere in our one-horse town of population 600. Teens dressed in bobby socks and penny loafers danced the Stroll to their cars in an effort to be first to burn rubber;’ leaving behind ‘Alto High’ in a cloud of smoke. Slowly walking home, I kicked pebbles along my pathway while I relished memories of highlights with my classmates over the past four years. After graduation caps were seen high in the air and the braggadocian behavior was witnessed in the timid; in was evident we were high schoolers, not college graduates. Our final meeting together in the auditorium had ended. I realized these last moments with my friends were final. We walked through the double doors to go our separate ways; the sight was like watching students jump off a cliff, one by one; then disappear from view forever. Many classmates would enter college the next semester. Some would take a break and work awhile. Others would marry and take menial jobs; the beginning of a life of struggle. Just what was the next step in growing up to be a good citizen? I wondered. I wouldn’t be going to college. My parents could afford little else than our present lifestyle. Feeling pressure from within, I needed to contribute to my dad’s income if I was to remain at home. Having parents in their late 50’s, gave me a sense of caution. Alto seemed closed for work opportunities compared to larger cities. Where to begin was the question. I soon found a ride with other Alto workers, to a nearby town where I joined other women on an assembly line. The factory produced toy guns and stick horses. I envisioned little boys galloping around on a stick horse on Christmas morning, waving a gun in the air. As the guns rode by on the assembly line, I performed my job by placing a tiny spring inside each gun and often thought, “I would feel better if these toy guns were children’s Bibles.” But work was scarce. Our anxiety increased when the foremen sped up the assembly line, commanding our concentration to step up; forcing our agility to a keener awareness. The older women and I made friends, as we pulled together with team spirit. One day, a lady spoke boldly. “Gloria, there’s a job open at the clinic in town. Why don’t you apply?” I was caught off guard. I answered stuttering, “Tha a a t’s great! But I don’t have training” She persistently argued. “That’s OK – Go up there and apply. If you play your cards right, you can get the job.” Then she added, “You don’t belong here.” I laughed jokingly in return. “No one belongs here!” I mused. One word of encouragement was all it took. After my interview at the clinic, my good will trip back to the factory was important to me. “Dr. Riker hired me! I shouted with glee among my friends! “Can you believe it?” I questioned them; struggling to believe it myself. Saying goodbye to everyone was easy as I glanced over the filth and trash that littered the factory floor and the smut on the faces of workers. A few of my closer friend’s eyes shone with envy that told a story. I was leaving and they had to remain. “I want to thank you for your tip, Karen,” I shared with appreciation. “That’s what friends are for, kid!” She replied. My new job was located 25 miles from Alto, my home. I would need courage to face life’s changes. My new venture required me to live in the same city where my job was located. Without a car, I must find a room to rent. The major clinic and the large general hospital were located across the street from each other. As I glanced down the neighborhood where the clinic and hospital were located, the residential homes were a mixed bag in architecture. I felt excited about my first real job as an office nurse. I bowed my head with request and thanksgiving: “Dear Jesus, Please direct my paths. Send me to a house on this very street where I can rent a room and be of spiritual assistance to someone in great need of encouragement. In Jesus Name,.Amen.” Door knocking was new to me! But with God, I knew all things were possible, so I began. As I walked from door to door, I rehearsed my speech, striving not to sound corny. “Hello Madam, my name is Gloria. I have a new job at the clinic and am looking for a room to rent. I do not have a car yet, so I need to live close to my workplace. Do you rent rooms?” Some residents didn’t waste much time with me. Their doors closed while I was still talking. The last house was particularly lovely. It was a huge colonial home with a wrap-around porch located right next to the general hospital. In approaching this elegant home, I mustered a special courage; feeling intimidated by the home’s massive pillars and second story beams. An elderly lady stepped outside the front door. She was wearing a gingham dress from the 40’s. She raised her eyebrows with a smile at my request; then asked me to return the next day when she would have an answer for me. The next day, I moved into the front bedroom in the most beautiful home on the block. I had a great view to the street and clinic, where I would work. God had answered my prayer. Behind the walls of my new home lay a dark, foreboding secret that would not unfold right away. The elderly lady, I later nicknamed ‘Mom,’ had an only daughter named Nell, age 55. I became aware of Nell’s problem the first time we met when I greeted her and realized she sounded intoxicated. All too soon I became aware that ‘Mom’ wanted me to ‘live in’ for other reasons having nothing to do with the little rent money I paid them. Nell’s room was unkempt and smelled of dust and mold. Her blinds were shut and drapes were closed, creating an atmosphere that repelled fresh air and sunlight. Nell suffered from migraine headaches and appeared to be a prisoner in a world almost beyond reach. As the three of us became more acquainted, one day Mom caught me alone. Just like a hole in a water balloon, her tears sprang into weeping. She shared a deep grief and concern about her only daughter, Nell, then pleaded with me. “Glo, we needed you here! I thought it would help Nell to snap out of it; if a lively girl like you moved into our home!” This made me feel helpless. She continued…”Five years ago, Nell was a beautiful woman, a well-known socialite with respect and dignity. Her life in the community was active and fulfilling. In an instant, I learned that Nell was the wife of a major leader in the community; a distinguished physician and respected gentleman; one who had accomplished his life dreams. Mom corrected me by saying, “Dr. Trevis was not just a physician in the community, he is the founder of this hospital and clinic!” I blushed with embarrassment having underestimated his very prestigious position. “Yes mam,” I agreed. I was living in the home of the head of this giant, multiple-wing hospital and clinic; a clinic that bore their founding leader’s name. Mom continued her story. Nell’s personality had changed from a happy, well-adapted woman of beauty to a fearful, nervous home bound recluse where laughter had become a memory; in a dwelling bearing resemblance to a tomb. What happened? Tell me, Mom?” I urged her to continue. “Nell came home from shopping one day five years ago to find Dr. Trevis with another woman right in their own bedroom; in their own bed. Mom’s eyes veered toward me with hatred and bitterness. “Can you believe a man of such calling and prominence in the community, could act with such lewd indecency?” It was obvious. Nell had been broken-hearted at her husband’s despicable betrayal. She was living a life that had lived beyond a minor embarrassment in the community. She looked at her future with disgrace and shame. Nell had not left her home in five years, except to be hospitalized for her illness. She had never made a simple trip to the grocery store or to her local church. The Black Widow’s web of gossip and deceit had entangled Nell as well as the whole town of busybodies. They whispered about the Trevis’ steep fall from grace. Nell found herself engulfed as an unforgettable object of rejection. Her self-esteem groveled in the dust. Nell’s every waking moment reminded her of the envy surrounding her ‘ivory tower’ prominence’ in her past. Now, she felt less than human, especially since Dr. Trevis died a year before my arrival. She suffered a complete nervous breakdown, never recovering. Weeks passed as I pondered Mom’s conversation with me, revealing the intimate details of their lives. I was privileged to learn about this deep secret in high places. I guarded my station as a noble knight in dress. Night after night, I prayed to God that He would remove Nell’s burdens and heal her broken heart. Although I was very young, this terrible crisis made me aware of the fragile cords of happiness held together by sheer hope; a hope so easily sold out by sin. I looked for signs of answered prayer. When the front door would close behind me in the evening, the noise would bring Mom scurrying down the hall in my direction, as if desperately seeking another to share her misery with someone who cared. After a year at Mom’s, I decided to move. My conversations with Nell seemed to be in vain for any sign of progress. I had been subtle in asking Nell whether she ever read her Bible. Her Bible lay near her bed covered over with dust - just inches within her reach. She grunted something in answer to my question, but my question was confusing to Nell considering the strong medication her psychiatrist had prescribed her. Time was running out. Suddenly, I said with boldness: “Nell? You may have a physician who prescribes medication to keep you sleepy, but I know a Great Physician who can wake you up and make you want to live again! Nell?” I called to her again and raised my voice so she could hear me through her drowsiness. “Will you please pray with me before I leave today? I believe that God can heal you, Nell, if you will believe it!” Nell muttered a sentence, then in slow motion; she crawled onto the floor from her couch, where the imprint of her weight had designed a resemblance of her form. I proceeded to pray. “Dear Jesus, Nell is hurting. Please send the sunshine of Your Love through the walls in this room and into Nell’s sore heart. Please Lord; fill her with Your Holy Spirit for we believe in Your healing power to break these chains that hold Nell in despair.” In Jesus’ Name, we pray…Dr. Daniel AmenSuddenly, she threw her arms around my neck and wept like an innocent child! Her tears were released like the flood gates of a broken dam. I hugged like as a family member, and then encouraged her to wash her face and take a refreshing shower. Then I affirmed, “Nell, I believe God has healed you.” Two days later, I made a final trip to get my remaining items. Moving was easy. I was moving a few houses from Mom and Nell. The clinic’s back door was closer than before. As I knocked on Mom’s front, to my astonishment, ‘Nell’ greeted me for the first time she had greeted anyone in five years! She wore such a beautiful smile of radiance, her healing was undeniable. My thoughts turned inward. “Is this the same woman I’ve known during this past year?” Then I smiled. She wasn’t the same woman! Jesus had given Nell a brand new heart! Her depression was gone. Like a news reporter, I wanted to interview her awhile; but she was in a rush! “Hi Gloria!” she smiled with enthusiasm. “Come on in! I can’t talk a lot right now. I’m on my way to church!” The yellow dress she wore was a color that described her light-heartedness and the golden rays of sunshine that day. No doubt, the angels sang with Nell in church while she basked in the warm kindness of Jesus. The day we prayed, bright beams of Christ’s healing righteousness filtered down through the spellbinding walls of gloom and released Nell from her prison! The kind of experience I’d only read about, suddenly became my own; an experience unequivocal to any experience I’d witnessed during my short years. When Christians believe, not doubting; we can become partners with God for others. How do we know this? Jesus’ promises are steadfast. The miracle God allowed me to witness was comparable only to the beauty of promise in Jesus own words: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also, and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatsoever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it.” John 14: 12-14
Posted on: Mon, 25 Nov 2013 07:28:07 +0000
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