God listening?

上帝在聽嗎？

When I think of my family, I consider it “nor－mal”—two working parents, a daughter, a son, and even a white picket fence2. Our family life was stable and dependable—until one January day.

It was a Sunday morningand I was getting ready to baby-sit3.My door was shut. Suddenly I could hear my mom running up the stairs, screaming my name. I thought Dad must be playfully chasing her, as he often does. As I opened the door to watch the fun, it might have been the tears in her eyes or her terri－fied4 look, but I knew something was really wrong. Soon I was downstairs with my family, each with our own tearsand terrified looks. My father was in the basement5 seated in a chair, his limp6 body being supported by my brother. He could hardly talk; only murmurs7 came from his mouth. His eyes were squint－ed8 and he was breathing heavily.

My mom sent me outside to wait for the ambu－lance9. I wasn’t in any state to argue. In the two or three minutes it took for the medics to get there, my whole life changed. What was happening? What would I do without my father? Why him? Why me? Why hadn’t I told him that I loved him?

I could hear the sirens10 in the distance. They sounded light years away.

When help finally arrived, I begged them to hur－ry. The medics went to my father and after a quick exam, put him in the ambulance and rushed him to the hospital.

At the hospital, the hours dragged11 like years. Finally the doctor came and told us what had hap－pened. His medical jargon12 meant nothing to me, but I did catch the word “stroke13” here and there. My father, my father, had a stroke? How could this be happening?

My dad stayed at the hospital for two days. Both nights I bargained with God. I knew that if there was ever a time I needed his help, this was it. I swore that if he spared my father, I would never ask for anything again. I vowed14 never to take my father for granted15 again. I promised away everything I had to have my father back. I wanted my crumbling16 world to be nor－mal again.

I just hoped God was listening.

On the third day, the doctor met us as we were coming in. He said he had to talk to us. This is it, I thought.

He sat us down and started to talk. I did all I could do to concentrate17 on his words. Finally I heard “fully recover”. I burst into tears at last—happy tears. My prayers had been ansSince then, I realize that nothing is ever certain. Now, when my parents say something, I listen. When the family sits down to dinner, we enjoy each other’s company.Dinner time isn’t just time to fill our stom－achs. It’s a time to fill our heads and hearts with memo－ries to last forever. I have come to believe firmly that you don’t realize what you have until it is almost tak－en away.

我覺得我的家庭很普通——兩個工作的父母，一個女兒，一個兒子，還有一道白色的籬笆。我們的家庭穩固牢靠——直到一月份的一天。

那是一個星期天的早上，我正準備去給人照料孩子。我的房門關著，突然，我聽見我媽一邊尖叫著喊我的名字一邊衝上樓來。我想肯定是我爸像平常一樣追趕她逗著玩。我打開房門看熱鬧，似乎看到媽媽眼中的淚水，亦或是害怕的表情？我感到不妙。很快，我和媽媽都流著淚，滿臉緊張地一起下樓。爸爸坐在地下室的椅子上，軟弱無力的身體靠弟弟支持著。他無法講話，隻能從嘴裏擠出幾聲嘟噥聲，眯著眼睛，呼吸沉重。

媽媽讓我到外邊等救護車，我沒心情和她爭辯。在等醫生來的二三分鍾時間裏，我感到我的生活變了。到底發生了什麽事？失去了父親我怎麽辦？這事為什麽會發生在他身上？為什麽會發生在我身上？我還沒告訴爸爸我愛他呢！

遠遠地我聽見救護車的警鳴聲，縹緲地恍如幾個世紀之前的聲音。

我乞求醫生動作快點，他們給父親做了簡單的檢查後，把他抬上救護車，趕往醫院去了。

在醫院裏，簡直度日如年。醫生走過來告訴我們有關父親的情況，他的那些醫學術語我一句也聽不進，隻聽到一個詞“中風”。我的父親，我的父親中風？為什麽會發生這樣的事？

父親住院的兩天裏，我每天晚上都向上帝祈禱，如果哪天我需要上帝幫忙的話，那就是這次了。如果他能寬恕父親，我發誓不會再做他求，且再也不會認為父親的存在是理所當然的了。我承諾用我的一切來換父親的生命，我隻求這支離破碎的一切能恢複正常。

僅求上帝能聽到我的祈禱。

到第三天，我們一進醫院就見到醫生，他說有話對我們說。我想我的祈禱終於有回應了。

醫生讓我們坐下後開始說話。我努力了聽他說話，終於，我聽到了“痊愈”兩個字。我淚如泉湧——開心的淚。我的祈禱得到了回應，我又擁有父親了。

自那以後，我不再認為一切都是理所當然的了。如今，隻要父母說話我都會認真地聽。當我們坐在一塊吃飯時，我會很珍惜這一相伴的時刻。晚餐時間不僅僅是填飽我們的胃，還填補我們心靈永久的記憶。我堅信隻有當你失去時才會倍感珍惜。