God's Got a Plan

Diva and Bill were married for 25 years. In 2013, he was diagnosed with Merkle cell carcinoma which is rare. He was told then that it would come back and metastasize to the lungs and he would have six weeks of suffering before death. Bill always said he hoped he would drop dead so he would not have to linger or suffer. Bill went on with life, living it to the fullest.

On November 23, 2015, Bill told Diva, on the way to see the grandkids, that the cancer was in his lungs and he had six weeks. “I do not want anyone to know. We are going to have a great Thanksgiving and I will go to the doctor next week.” On Saturday they took their ten year old granddaughter to their favorite breakfast place and enjoyed chatting with another family.

As they left, Diva heard a thud and Bill was on the floor and the couple they had talked to were doing CPR. He was a surgeon and she was an ICU nurse. The EMT’s worked on Bill and one that had been an EMT for 30 years and a chaplain for 28 years said, “This man has gone to Heaven. I saw it in his eyes.” God orchestrated it all. Diva heard God tell her to be calm and show her faith because people would remember this, especially her grandchild. Diva told the family about Bill’s prognosis and wish and they agreed God was merciful that day.

After seven years of living with the grandchildren, God told Diva to make a deposit at an independent living place under construction because He had a plan for her. She went to a meet and greet and met a gentleman named John. The next meet and greet was about fitness and not many people showed up, but John did. God told her to be a friend to the man who was still grieving his wife who had died 14 years earlier. They went out as friends and their first conversation was about faith and how it gets you through. Faith was their connection. A year later they were married. As Diva said, “God always has a plan!” Diva and John were our first wedding at PVMC-Leland with Pastor Tim officiating. Congratulations, blessings and welcome to the family, Mr. and Mrs. Harmon!