Southern Gospel News SGNScoops Digital

Christian Country artist Chuck Day in recovery

Selena and her husband Chuck Day

It is early morning and I’m (Selena Day) surrounded by “Get Well” cards and medical paraphernalia sent home for us from the hospital. I am extremely grateful that what was meant for evil has turned into our good.

About three weeks ago, Chuck (Day) called me from Louisiana; he was singing at a men’s conference and I had decided to stay at home. He asked me to pray for him as his chest was hurting very badly. I prayed and told him to call me first thing in the morning.   

Selena and Chuck Day

After he came home, we decided to visit our local hospital. In the ER, everything seemed good. His nurse told us that his troponin enzymes were negative. I asked what this meant and she said that it was a good thing. After many tests, we were told that his heart showed no damage nor any swelling but they wanted to keep him overnight to watch and do a stress test the next day, letting the heart doctors take a look at him.  

We were very hopeful, thinking that in the worst-case scenario, he would need a stint in his heart. He failed the stress test and the cardioecogram, and they went in to do a heart catheter. The procedure lasted for 30 minutes after which life tilted and everything started moving at a very fast pace in slow motion.  

I love how God knows how to meet us at every step of our journey. When they rolled Chuck back for the heart catheter, a young man came and found me and told me that God had wanted him to give me something. It was a rubber band bracelet that had Ez. 37 (The Valley of the Dry Bones) with prophesy written on it as well as the phrase: “The Hand of the Lord is upon You.”  

I kept the bracelet on while Chuck was in the hospital. I believe that it was God’s instructions to me during this time. God told to Ezekiel to prophesy that those dry bones should live. This scripture has been a very poignant story over the years in my journey with God and he reminded me once again to prophesy into my life.

After the procedure, I knew from his face that it wasn’t good. In fact, those were the first words out of his mouth, “It’s not good.” The doctor came in and started using phrases that spoke death to me: ”You need to get your family together;” “Make hard decisions;” “Life-changing;” “Transferring you to another hospital.”

There were other people in the room with us, angels in my recollection. They talked us through this process calmly and helped us to focus on life and not death.  

Rob Patz and Chuck Day

When we encounter adversity that shakes us deeply, it is amazing how God shows up even when we fail to notice it is him; from nurses, friends, fans and even strangers, each one shared a little piece of Christ into our lives.  

I sit here writing this and I feel a little overdramatic writing these words, but when you are talking to a doctor about your husband’s profession and they tell you that there is a small chance that his vocal cords could be damaged and that there is a risk to heart surgery, it feels overdramatic to you.  

Chuck has been professionally singing since he was 10 years old. That is just who he is. If something had happened to his voice it would have been like losing a hand or foot. So in the midst of this, I made a choice not to focus on the negatives of the ‘what ifs’, but to look toward the voices and people God sent our way to bring hope.  

Never underestimate your power of just saying, “It’s going to be okay.” Never underestimate your power of hearing the Father’s voice and sharing your story. Never underestimate the power of giving a small amount to help.  

We set up a GoFund Me site because we had no idea how long Chuck would be down and unable to travel or sing. I am so moved by all the people that gave whether large or small. Never underestimate the power of the widow’s mite.

I watched them roll my husband back for surgery and I thought I was handling it pretty well, until I had to rationally talk to a stranger to ask questions and then the tears started to flow. I was all alone because I had left my support people behind due to an elevator not working properly. This stranger simply walked from behind her desk and hugged me, telling me that I was in the exact, right place and that their hospital was top in the nation for heart procedures. Never underestimate your power to comfort a stranger. She was exactly what I needed at that moment.  

I had two friends that stayed with me pretty much the whole time Chuck was in the hospital, one who drove nine hours and took off a week from work to come and help me.  Never underestimate your power to be a friend when someone needs it. They were my “Aaron and Hur,” holding up my hands when the battle became weary to me.

I will never forget in the dark early morning hours God reminding me that how we at the last minute chose a song Chuck wrote many years ago to release to Southern gospel radio in November entitled, “The Healing Stream.” Never underestimate the peace of God’s gentle reminders in your life.

As I sit here in the quiet of the morning, I am grateful at how well Chuck is doing. I am not sure how our life has changed, because we haven’t ventured out into that life. We are timidly sticking our toes into the water of our new life, but I covet your prayers. If I know one thing that made the difference in our journey, it was the prayers of the believers standing with us for victory over our battle.  

As we enter the Christmas season celebrating the birth of our savior remember that he is not just a baby, he is not just a martyr…He is alive and he is a king, working in your life, and he has a plan for you.  

Access your right in the kingdom because during this season that is what I learned. God can and will use anything and everything to work what was evil for your good.  

My heart may feel weary, but I am walking that truth every day and I am happy and I am grateful. God is with me.  

Selena Day is a motivational speaker and is available to speak at your conference or event.  You may contact her at selenaday@me.com http://www.queenliving.org http://facebook.com/queenismsbyselenaday. Photographs courtesy of Selena Day.

Note from the Editor: Hey SGNScoops readers! Let’s bless Chuck and Selena Day and their family by helping them reach their goal with Chuck’s GoFundMe account. Please click on this link to bless them this Christmas.