When the Worst-Case Doesn’t Get the Final Word

When the Worst-Case Doesn’t Get the Final Word

A hallway conversation, a flood of fear, and the miracle of grace.

We were still in the ICU when it happened. I had stepped out to grab something to eat—just a moment to catch my breath in the midst of the chaos. As I walked back in, a hospital social worker stopped me in the hallway.

“Are you the spouse of Steve?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“I hear you have young children?”

“Yes,” I answered again.

She looked at me kindly but seriously and said, “I’ll be coming by again because your life is never going to look the same. You’re going to need a lot of help—your husband will need ongoing support. This is your new normal.”

She wasn’t being unkind. In fact, she was probably speaking from experience—preparing me for the long road many stroke families walk. But I walked away from that conversation feeling stunned. Grieved. Overwhelmed.

When I got home to change, I cried. I texted my sister-in-law Jeantina and said, “I don’t know how I’m going to do any of this.” She wrote back, “You’re not alone.” (And side note: surround yourself with friends who remind you of that truth. It matters.)

But here’s what I didn’t expect: I never saw that social worker again—not because we didn’t need support, but because our story unfolded in a way that even we couldn’t have imagined.

Steve’s recovery was remarkable. He regained mobility and communication faster than we thought possible. There were still challenges and hard days, but we witnessed grace woven through all of it.

I share this not to suggest that every recovery looks like ours—or that if it doesn’t, God isn’t present. Quite the opposite.

Because the miracle isn’t just in the outcome. It’s in the presence of God walking with us, no matter how the story goes. It’s in the comfort He gives when our questions remain unanswered. It’s in the strength we borrow from Him on the days we can barely lift our heads.

So wherever you are in your story today—whether you’re still in the hallway, deep in the trenches, or years past the hardest part—know this:

You are not alone.

And God is still going before you, holding you up, and giving you what you need for today.

That is grace.
That is hope.
And that is truth worth standing on.