IT WAS IN THE SPRINGTIME IN A LITTLE RURAL AREA ABOUT SIXTY MILES FROM LOREDO, TEXAS. A YOUNG WOMAN HAD SUMMONED HER MOTHER AND A DOCTOR. SHE WAS IN THE FIRST STAGES OF LABOR WITH HER FIRSTBORN. THE NEAREST HOSPITAL WAS AT LOREDO. SHE HAD NO CAR.
DURING HER PREGNANCY, AUDREY HAD FIXED UP THE LITTLE HOUSE BY USING CARDBOARD BOXES TO COVER THE WALLS. IT WAS THE BEST THE YOUNG WOMAN COULD DO WITH THE CONVERTED CHICKEN HOUSE. GETTING A HOME READY FOR A BABY WAS LEFT UP TO HER. HER HUSBAND WAS A ROUGHNECK, AND HE WAS AWAY WORKING IN THE OILFIELDS.
THERE WAS NO RUNNING WATER OR PLUMBING IN THE LITTLE HOUSE. THIS WAS GOING TO HAVE TO BE A COORDINATED EFFORT. A COUPLE OF LADIES FROM THE CHURCH ARRIVED TO HELP WITH GETTING IN WATER AND PREPARING TOWELS AND BLANKETS.
LABOR WAS ADVANCED BY NOW, BUT THERE WERE PROBLEMS. THE DOCTOR ASKED TO SPEAK TO VIOLA, THE MOTHER, OUTSIDE. HE TOLD VIOLA THAT THE BABY WAS TOO BIG FOR HER DAUGHTER TO HAVE BY NATURAL CHILDBIRTH. HE SAID HE WOULD HAVE TO CUT THE BABY OUT IN ORDER
TO SAVE AUDREY'S LIFE.
THERE WAS LITTLE CHOICE, ACCORDING TO THE DOCTOR. SAVE THE DAUGHTER OR SAVE THE BABY. ONE WOULD HAVE TO BE SACRIFICED. TIME WAS OF THE ESSENCE. A DECISION HAD TO BE MADE NOW. VIOLA TOLD THE SOMEWHAT SCIENTIFIC DOCTOR TO WAIT JUST A FEW MINUTES.
SHE NEEDED TO PRAY.
HE TOLD HER 'THAT'S ALL SHE HAD... JUST A FEW MINUTES.' SHE TOLD THE CHURCH LADIES WHAT THE PREDICAMENT WAS AND WHAT WAS PLANNED BY THE DOCTOR. ALL THREE WOMEN LAID THE SITUATION ON HEAVEN'S DOOR, PLEADING THAT GOD WOULD SPARE MOTHER AND CHILD.
AND THEY BELIEVED...
TOM AND AUDREY LEE WITH
TOM C. LEE, HIS SISTER, EDNA MAE, AND LITTLE BROTHER, CLIFFORD.
TOM C. LEE IS NOW
66 YEARS OLD, AND MAKES HIS HOME ON THE SOUTHERN COAST OF TEXAS.
TOM SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH A REMINDER THAT
"JUST A FEW MORE MINUTES" IS WHAT WE ARE GRANTED
THROUGH PRAYER.
"I HAVE BEEN KEPT ALIVE MANY YEARS, AND I DO BELIEVE THROUGH PRAYERS OF THOSE WHO LOVED ME. MY MOTHER, GRANDMOTHER AND THE TWO CHURCH LADIES ARE IN HEAVEN WAITING FOR ME.
MY MOTHER TOLD ME THIS STORY ABOUT MY BIRTH ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO. SHE'S GONE ON TO BE WITH THE LORD NOW.
THAT TIME OF PRAYER IN THAT OLD SHACK OF A HOUSE IS THE REASON
I AM HERE TODAY."
TOM C. LEE 8-24-2001
This page was last updated on: February 17, 2009
DLS 8-22-01
JUST A FEW MINUTES
HIS DAUGHTERS PRAYED...
ON MARCH 4, 2002, TOM LEE FELL FROM THE BACK OF A DUMP TRUCK THAT HE WAS WELDING ON. EMTs WERE BARELY ABLE TO KEEP TOM ALIVE LONG ENOUGH TO GET HIM TO THE HOSPITAL IN CORPUS CHRISTI.
TOM NEARLY BLED TO DEATH FROM AN ANEURISM IN HIS STOMACH THAT HAD RUPTURED. HE REMAINED ON LIFE SUPPORTS IN THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT FOR FOUR WEEKS. DAILY, HIS THREE DAUGHTERS PRAYED FOR
"JUST A FEW MINUTES."
TOM HAD TO BE PUT ON DIALYSIS. HIS KIDNEYS WERE FAILING. THE POWER OF PRAYER PULLED HIM THROUGH THAT CRISIS TOO. PHYSICAL THERAPY HELPED HIM WALK AGAIN AND GAIN UPPER BODY STRENGTH.
BY MID-JUNE, TOM WAS ADMITTED TO REHABILATION CENTER WHERE HE WAS TO RECOVER TO WHERE HE CAN ONCE AGAIN ENJOY THE LIFE THAT "JUST A FEW MINUTES" HAS AFFORDED HIM. AND JUST A LITTLE MORE TIME TO SHARE HIS LIFE WITH HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
THE POTPOURRI FAMILY MISSED SEEING TOM LEE'S COMMENTS IN GUEST BOOKS AGAIN. "JUST A FEW MINUTES" WAS OUR PRAYER. HE MADE IT!
TOM IS BACK AGAIN!
EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 11, 2004, TOM LEE WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO THE CORPUS CHRISTI HOSPITAL AGAIN. EMERGNECY SURGERY WAS DONE. HE HAD A ROUGH TIME PULLING THROUGH THIS CRISIS. BUT, GOD GRANTED
"JUST A FEW MORE MINUTES!"
ROCKPORT, TEXAS COASTLINE
IT IS HOME FOR TOM LEE WHERE HE LIVES AND SPENDS HIS TIME BEING WHAT HE FEELS THE LORD WANTS HIM TO BE: A REFLECTION OF THE CHILD THAT WAS SPARED MANY YEARS AGO IN THAT LITTLE TEXAS CABIN.
THE TIME WAS APPROACHING 2PM. IT WAS APRIL 19, 1938.
THE DOCTOR WENT BACK IN TO CHECK AUDREY BEFORE HE BEGAN SURGERY TO REMOVE THE BABY. TIME HAD RUN OUT FOR MOTHER AND CHILD.
SUDDENLY, THE DOCTOR YELLED AT VIOLA TO GET READY! THE BABY HAD TURNED AND WAS ABOUT TO BE BORN BY NATURAL CHILDBIRTH! THE DOCTOR REPORTEDLY WAS IN SHOCK AS HE DELIVERED A TWELVE POUND BOY AT 2:15PM! MOTHER AND SON, GRANDMOTHER AND HER PRAYER SISTERS WERE ALL JOYOUS AND DOING QUITE WELL!
THE DOCTOR HAD TO SIT DOWN... "JUST A FEW MINUTES!"
