Goetz retirement holds surprises and mysteries

Moving to Odessa for our retirement has not been what we expected. The people here have been wonderful. It is great to be with family again. 'But' when Dr. Powell had Tom flown out in "lifebird" on a warm and moonlit August night, I had no idea what was in store for us as a family.

Stroke had not been a part of the retirement plan. The stroke was bad. As I drove back and forth every day to Spokane for 2 and a half months, I saw my husband deteriorate before my eyes.

The neurologist took me to the side and said, "I don't know how close your husband will come back to where he was."

Where he had been was a man of God - a great husband, father and pastor to many, many people. His book had just come out and he missed the excitement of two book events.

They told me at the stepdown ICU, we were a family of faith.

As the Doctors and nurses worked over my husband day after day, I knew one thing. God was right by my side and on the other side was Cody, our youngest son. He would care for his Dad right along with the Doctors and nurses. He fed his Dad, slept beside him at night, helped with his Dad's needs.

We wrote notes to all visitors and left them taped to the mirror. People began to leave their thoughts and prayers on the mirror. I have them all.

Stroke was just the beginning of a downhill slide. A short time later the Doctors found a massive tumor on Tom's colon. They said it was cancer. The elders from Harrington came and prayed with Tom - no cancer.

Each night through all of this. I would go outside, look up to the heavens and cry out to God. I moved to Odessa - did you come with me? I knew he did, but I had to ask.

We've had lots of trials in life but God has given us the strength to go through another one. They found an aneurism on Tom's aorta, and it has grown. Tom early in life put himself in Gods hands. He opted out of the surgery.

One thing we know - God has always been with us. And we found that He was waiting for us in Odessa.