Covered with Love
By Linda Little
Paul and Denise Linton from Manassas, Virginia were on vacation February, 2020, when Paul turned off the highway to stop for fast food in Garland. Somehow, he made several bad decisions that caused him to drive through a large parking lot and crash into a building. He was not wearing a his seatbelt and his head smashed into the windshield. He was taken to Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas. His wife, Denise, walked away without injury.
Someone from home called a member of Waterview Church of Christ who was from Manassas. I was eventually contacted to visit Paul and Denise because I am a volunteer with Lifeline Chaplaincy and did my visitation at Presbyterian. I went to visit the next day. Paul’s situation was pretty bleak. He instantly had become a paraplegic because of the damage of the impact. That was devastating to him and to Denise. I visited them, prayed with them, and loved them, and became their friend.
Since I was a small group leader for our Wednesday Ladies’ Bible class, I asked the ladies in our group to write an encouraging scripture for Paul and Denise. They also each wrote a personal message on a red heart. Denise and I taped all the red heart messages to the wall to decorate Paul’s room.
I took the scriptures and embroidered them on small hearts and made a lap quilt for Paul and Denise. All the ladies in our Bible class signed small hearts on the quilt, so everyone had a part. When the quilt was finished it was presented to Paul and Denise. He asked us to read every scripture aloud to him “right now”. We did that, and Denise read them to him many, many times. They were so pleased to receive a gift with comforting scriptures from ladies they did not know. Denise said it was God working to get them through their rough times. Denise and I have become good friends. In fact, she is coming to Texas to visit the good Christians who opened their home to her throughout Paul’s stay here and her Waterview friends.
After several months of Denise staying with Paul every day at the hospitals in Dallas, Paul was transferred to Baylor and eventually to a facility about an hour from Manassas. Shortly after that, Denise was not allowed to stay with him because of the Pandemic. She did talk to him each day by phone, thanks to a loving therapist who would hold the phone to Paul’s ear so they could talk. Finally, she was able to visit again for short periods of time. He would tell her often, “Mama, if I can keep the faith laying in this bed, you can stand there and keep the faith.” He blamed only himself for his accident, never God. However much pain he was in, he thanked God for his family and for his church family. He had these favorite scriptures: James 1:12, Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 1 Peter 5:10, And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 2 Timothy 4:7, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.
Paul passed from this world on March 6, 2021. Denise debated whether to bury Paul with the scripture quilt, but decided it would be better for her to keep it to comfort her. She is at peace, but would appreciate continued prayers as she adjusts to her new life alone.
