Life's Curve Balls

I'm just going to go ahead and tell you that I was very uncertain on what to name this one, and if I get through it without sobbing then we'll all be doing good. It's been an emotional roller coaster ride this weekend to say the least. Plans that we had 72 hours took a 180 degree turn and went completely the other direction, and we haven't heard from them since.

Everyone got to Hattiesburg safely and we were all so excited about a fun weekend together. The first game was on Thursday night at 6:30 and Phillip of course got to start, like he has for most of the conference games. In the top of the second, he came up to bat with runners in scoring position and two outs. He worked the count up to 3 balls and 2 strikes so we were hoping for either a walk or base hit.. and well, neither one of those happened. He saw the pitch coming towards him was a high fast ball and by the time he jerked out of the way the ball had already hit his right fore arm. Like all other times when players are hit by a ball, they shake it off for a little bit and go on to first base. We knew this time was completely different. We had about a five minute delay on first from the trainer coming out to look at it, and Phillip doing everything he could to shake the pain off. The guy behind him got out so it was time for PC to put on his catching equipment and take the field. When he got into the dug out, he couldn't even pick up a baseball and grip it. At this point, the coaches had already put Shawn into catch and we knew something was seriously wrong. About the 5th inning, we saw Phillip and 2 other guys leave the stadium to go get x-rays taken. Around the 7th we saw them walk back in, Phillip shaking his head, his arm was casted and he was wearing a sling around his neck. Now we all knew for certain he had a broken a bone in his arm and he would be out for the rest of the season. It was devastating and we were all heart broken. I know you're probably thinking, "It's just a broken bone! Why are you taking this so hard?" but it's so much more than that. Phillip has worked so hard to get to this point and all they had to win this weekend was one game and they were automatically going to the Conference tournament in Houston. Not only that, but now Phillip has to miss summer ball in Virginia and as bad as I was going to miss him, it was going to be an incredible opportunity for him! He called the coach that he would have played for this summer and the guy was very nice to Phillip. He even told him that he was well towards the end of the season then he would love for him to come up and play a few games with them. All we can say is the Lord has other plans for our lives right now.

It's crazy how quickly things change. That's all we have talked about all weekend. We've been very positive about the whole situation, and we've pretty much just sat around with "what ifs" on the brain. I just hate that there isn't something that I can do. Why can't things like this happen to me? I would have traded anything in the world for it NOT to have happened to him. I would have taken a broken bone in place of his so that he could still do everything that he had planned. But it's times like these where if something does happen to Phillip, then God knows it teaches us both a lesson because it affects me too. Mama told me that today that this is just one of those curve balls life throws it at you, and it will only make you stronger. She says since both of us are planners, maybe it was a way to get through to us before we were married to let us know that our lives can't always be planned out the way we hope. Maybe we do need to learn to live a little more spontaneously. Whatever the reason, it will be a learning experience. At least it wasn't something too serious. I always tell myself, "things could always be so much worse!" We truly are blessed beyond belief.. it's just hard to see sometimes!

Enough of my rambling about that for now. Tomorrow, Stephini and Phillip are driving up to Memphis from Jackson to stay in a hotel. Monday morning his appointment is at 9 o'clock and we're hoping that the doctor will only have to set it and cast it and we will be only our merry little way! We are praying for no surgery! On a happier note, Phillip's head coach called him tonight and told him that all of the guys put their meal money together to buy Phillip a plane ticket to Houston so that he could be with them for the Conference Tournament. He flies out Tuesday afternoon and will ride back with them on the bus when it's over. I just can't imagine being part of something so wonderful. It's incredible how a random act of kindness can bring someone up so much after being down all weekend. He called me and told me all about it and I just broke down into tears. Thank you boys for your kindness to Phillip! You'll never know what it means to all of us!!

Keep us in your prayers this weekend. I know it's just a broken bone, but we need spirits lifted too! I'm hoping Phillip sleeps better tonight in his own bed at Clinton and I'm going to rest myself and start all over tomorrow! I'll be back to write after Monday's appointment.