HOPE
Through These Doors: A Journey of Hope
By Dwight Alexander
CBN.com – Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX — Where is God when bad things happen? Does He really care? In his new book, Through These Doors, author and motivational speaker Dwight Alexander shares his own true story of devastating loss and God’s ultimate sovereignty and redemption of a broken life. As a dairy farmer in the small town of Sulphur Springs, Texas, Dwight Alexander cherished his simple life with family and friends. A devoted Christian, he was happily married and raising two sons. His life was shattered the day he received the phone call that every husband and father dreads: his wife and children had been involved in a terrible car accident, and he needed to get home as quickly as possible.
The news was too much for a man to bear alone. His wife, Tina, was killed instantly; his young sons, Grant and Collin, teetered on the brink of death in two separate hospitals.
With courageous honesty, Dwight invites readers to accompany him along his heartbreaking and inspiring journey of faith through the dark days that followed.
Determined to maintain a positive outlook, Dwight refused to believe that his boys would be taken from him. When faced with the likelihood of losing his entire family, Dwight chose to trust God saying, “If I did comprehend something at that confusing and emotional moment, it’s that we weren’t pulling the strings. God was in control.”
Through These Doors chronicles the long, arduous process of his sons’ miraculous recoveries and the relationships that were strained and strengthened through that process.
Dwight gratefully describes the love and care he received from others in his time of greatest need. “God always puts people in our lives at the right time and for a purpose,” he says.
He extols the efforts of the doctors, nurses and special education teachers to heal his boys. He also conveys his frustration when he and a special friend became the talk of their small town and people close to him felt threatened by the possibility of a new romance in his life. Despite the bleakness of any situation, Dwight held on tightly to the hope that joy was just around the corner.
Ultimately, God is the hero of this story as He provides for the Alexander family in every circumstance and creates a beautiful new life for them from the ashes of loss.
Alexander recently discussed his book.
Your journey of faith led you through the doors of the hospital Intensive Care Unit, surgical waiting rooms, and the funeral home. How did you find the strength to open so many unfamiliar doors?
I always felt like God would guide me through any door that He had placed before me. I realized early on that I really had no choice in the matter. I had to face reality honestly and trust Him with the outcome. I have seen people in ICU waiting rooms that are just pleading, wishing to turn back the clock and make things the way they were before. I knew that was futile. For reasons known only to Him, God had closed the door on the life I shared with Tina and the boys before the accident. Any effort to re-open that door would keep me from entering the many doors that awaited me. While I grieved deeply for the life I had loved, I decided to focus my energy on the present.
During the difficult days following the accident, what deliberate choices did you make in order to maintain a positive environment for your family?
I would not tolerate any negative comments in the presence of my sons, even though they were both comatose and may not have been able to hear. I wouldn’t even allow myself to speak or think negatively. I never entertained thoughts that Grant wouldn’t walk again or talk again. I had spent years intentionally developing a positive state of mind before the accident. I believe the effort was well spent. If you’re going to read a book today, read a positive one. Surround yourself with uplifting people. It’s easier to maintain a positive attitude in a crisis than to develop one.
Were there any specific moments of triumph that motivated you to keep a positive outlook?
I learned to look for the little miracles every day. Grant moving a toe when his dog, Coca, came to the ICU or correctly spelling “cat” with the alphabet board—these were moments that strengthened my resolve. Grant formed his first words 15 months after the accident: “Marble Slab.” I nearly ran off the road, so great was my excitement over a 16-year-old kid asking for some Rocky Road. I never expected that such a seemingly insignificant accomplishment would bring me such joy.
How did your experiences in the hospital change your perception of medical staff?
I expected the doctors to be somewhat aloof and clinical in their dealings with us. For some reason, we were always blessed with doctors who were willing to move beyond the professional façade and demonstrate a personal, emotional care, even an attachment to my sons. I’ll never forget the sight of Dr. Fernandez, who, after keeping vigil over Collin on that first crucial night, looked as if he had just climbed Mt. Everest in a snow storm. “Our boy made it through the night,” he told me.
What role did the power of prayer play in your sons’ recoveries?
Prayer was the key to recovery, from the trauma of ICU to the time when it seemed Grant’s progress had ended completely, and I was energized by an amazing group of prayer warriors such as I had never encountered. I realized that prayer was truly the only power enabling my sons to recover. And it certainly played a crucial part in my own emotional and spiritual healing.
How has your family’s experience shaped your relationship with God?
Everything I had believed intellectually became real to me. Trusting God became essential. People always ask me, “How do you know if you have enough faith to survive a tragedy like this?” I think it’s nearly impossible to know how strong your faith is until you are forced to depend on it. I believed that God was in control and that He was good. He proved those things were true by providing the faith I needed to survive the trial.
Purchase your copy of Through These Doors, available in bookstores January 2007, or order through the author's Web site, www.DwightAlexander.com.
Courtesy of The B&B Media Group.
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