I should have told him no, after all I was exhausted, but when he asked if we could do one more climb I said yes. At about 25 feet off of the ground he clipped into the rock. He climbed to about 30 feet and hit a tough spot in the climb. He knew it was a potential fall spot so he called down. "Hold on" I said and then broke the biggest rule of belaying, I took my hand off of my brake rope. It was twisted. I was uncomfortable and I needed to reposition. He didn't hear me. In a second all I remember was the sound of the rope rushing through my harness....he had gone for a tough grab and had missed. Instinctually I reached out and grabbed the burning rope with all my strength. I gripped and burned my hands but I stopped it. Where was Bob? I looked to my left and he was unconscious, dangling at the end of the rope, a mere foot from the ground.
I was in shock, as I gently set him down and moved towards him he began to convulse and I saw the rock covered in blood....so much blood. Bob had hit his head on the rock on the way down. I got to him, scooped his head and chest into my arms and held his lifeless body. All I remember thinking was that if this was his final time he was not going to be alone. I held him covered in blood and screamed up on that mountain, "God, please, please don't let him die! Lord please, please save him. Don't take him from me." For a solid minute I did not know if he was going to live or if he was going to die. I have never felt so afraid. To find my love only to loose him so foolishly. Lord it just couldn't be.
He gasped and came to. He knew who he was. He knew where he was, he remembered what happened. He had a huge gash in his head and was loosing blood and we were up on the side of a mountain.....with no phone signal. What were we going to do? As I watched him lying there trying to evaluate himself after I had inadvertently dropped him off the side of a mountain, I had this sinking feeling that our relationship was over. He would never trust me again. How could he? But I couldn't think about that. I started praying again, "Lord how are we going to get off of this mountain?" I looked and looked and way off in the distance below us I saw 2 hikers. To this day I believe they were God ordained and quite possibly angels. We had seen NO ONE all day. I yelled at them and they heard me. When they reached us Bob was hanging onto consciousness, but barely. Now this is where it gets goose bumpy. The first hiker was an EMT. Not only was he able to assess Bob, but radioed for an ambulance and was able to help get Bob down the mountain. He was also a seasoned climber and was able to retrieve all the gear.
The ambulance rushed Bob down to the hospital with me following close behind. I walked into the hospital looking like a victim myself. I had not realized how covered in blood I was. My hands were blistered from the rope. I didn't care. The waiting felt like forever. I felt as though I was living the final moments of a once beautiful relationship. "No way will he forgive me for this." After more than 6 hours in the hospital and 11 staples we went home (Another God thing.....they didn't have to cut his long hair through this either....trust me, you are about to find out about all that). My roommates and I let Bob stay in our apartment off campus because someone had to wake him up every two hours and watch for concussion symptoms. I got him to bed and in the wee hours of the morning just wept, and wept, and wept. He must have heard me because he woke up and asked me to come lay down with him. Even through his pain he snuggled me up in his arms and said the most beautiful words to me, "Bethany, its okay, I forgive you. I still love you."
It was more than I could bear. My tears had no end. There truly was no doubt. He was my One. God's grace and unconditional love given to me.
That was a true trial by fire, but we emerged from it changed people and more committed than ever to the future the Lord had for us. As he recovered I knew without doubt that I wanted to marry this man, and soon, but did his timeline match mine? Would a ring be in my future?
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