God put into motion a chain of events that allowed our family to have one last memorable night with our husband and father. It was a tender mercy from God that we will never forget and will always cherish.
My beloved father, Dennis Jensen, aged 55, suddenly passed away in July, 2000. He was diagnosed with cancer just the week before. His doctor told us that he had 2-4 more months to live, but it was not meant to be.
Dad had been sick with an underlying health condition for a number of years, so he assumed that the reason he wasn't feeling well was because of this condition. He went to his doctor who then scheduled an ultrasound for the following week. One look at the face of the technician administering the test, and dad knew that it was bad. A pancreatic cancer diagnosis was confirmed and the prognosis was grim. Even though dad's condition was terminal, my family was going to make the best of the time that we had left with him.
My mom, Connie, scheduled an appointment for a professional photographer to come to their home on Monday, July 17th. We were going to have family pictures taken while dad was still feeling well enough to do that. Mom just had a feeling that we needed to have the pictures taken sooner rather than later. Even though I was living in Idaho at the time, I was staying with my parents for a few weeks at their home in Orem, Utah. My three sisters were also living in Utah at the time. My brother drove from Washington state so that he could be part of the family pictures. He arrived in Utah late Wednesday night. He decided to come early so that he could spend more time with dad before heading back to Washington after the pictures were taken on Monday night.
On Friday morning, July 14th, mom received a phone call from the photographer. She let her know that there had been a cancellation and was wondering if my mom would like to reschedule our family pictures for that night rather than wait until Monday. Mom said yes, which then required everyone's plans to be changed and schedules to be rearranged. We decided to coordinate our attire so that everyone would be wearing tan and white. I was planning to go shopping on Saturday for new clothes, but ended up not having enough time to get it done before taking pictures on Friday. I ended up borrowing one of mom's dresses.
That Friday night was a beautiful summer evening. The family photos were taken in my parent's picturesque backyard. After the pictures were finished, we had a wonderful family dinner. It was a magical evening with my family. I watched my father sitting in his favorite chair reading the newspaper. He looked really good and it seemed as if he was rebounding. To this day, it is still such a wonderful memory.
So imagine my surprise and disbelief when my brother woke me up at 1 a.m. on Saturday morning to let me know that dad was failing. He was having difficulty breathing, so they decided to take him to the hospital. My brother and brother-in-law carried him down the stairs. Just a few hours earlier he had been walking on his own. I felt that he was going to be Okay. I thought that he just needed to get his oxygen stabilized, and then he would be able to come home.
All of my family gathered in the waiting room of the hospital. Mom finally came out of the exam room to let us know that he wasn't going to make it. Even though the doctors did everything they could to extend my father's life, they told my mother that her husband of 32 years was going to pass away that day. All of us were heartbroken. We were able to say our last goodbyes and to let him know how much we loved him. He was in a coma and couldn't communicate with us, but he knew that we were all there.
My father was a successful businessman. After his funeral, a number of people told our family of the service and generosity that he extended to them over the years. As an example, dad paid the college tuition for a semester for someone who was struggling financially. We didn't find out about that until the day of his funeral. He did his service quietly. No accolades, no pat on the back. Even mom didn't know about the service that he performed for others. That was my dad - faithful and humble.
Every member of my family recognizes the tender mercy that Heavenly Father blessed our family with on that July summer night. There is no doubt in our minds that God and His angels were in this story. He put into motion a chain of events that allowed our family to have one last memorable evening with our husband and father. We also have the beautiful family pictures as a reminder of that special night. When the photographer called mom to let her know that the pictures were ready, she had no idea that dad passed away, and that he died less than 24 hours after the photoshoot. The photographer wept as she remembered the strong prompting she received that Friday morning to call my mom to reschedule the appointment. God was in her story, too.
It has been over 20 years since my father's passing, but the knowledge that God gave our family this miracle is still as fresh in my mind as ever. It was not a coincidence and it was not luck. God was in our story. I still look back on this time with gratitude in my heart. Even though I miss my dad, I know with certainty that I will see him again. I look forward to our heavenly reunion.
Submitted by Angie Jensen Davis from Aztec, NM
May 2021
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