In those dark hours the first few days of my daughter Amanda's accident I was told a story....
There was an elderly woman, in her seventies, who was unable to sleep during the late night hours of January 25 and the early morning hours of January 26. Let's call her Martha to make the story easier for us to follow. She had turned on a police scanner and was listening to the local emergency calls.
Amanda's accident happened at approximately 1:35 a.m. Saturday, January 26, 2008. The 911 call came in at 2:02 a.m. Martha's scanner picked up the call to the First Responders. Over the next few hours there was a lot of confusion and a lot of intimate chatter over the airwaves. Martha and her scanner kept abreast of every bit of it. The First Responders were not prepared and did not have adequate equipment to deal with Amanda's injuries. EMTs from the county the accident was in and also the neighboring county were called in but there was a lack of manpower to go around. They lost time and the situation was becoming more critical with the loss of precious time as they tried to get men and equipment. They had to saw trees and remove debris from her and then try to haul her out of a six-foot ditch without injuring her anymore as she bled out and complained of her back hurting. All the emergency people, from the police to the EMTs, thought that Amanda was going to die on the scene and said that over the airwaves and within earshot of Amanda. Martha heard them, too. Martha from the start, 2:03 a.m. was praying that God would have mercy on Amanda, would be with her and would comfort her and take care of her. You see Martha was a spirit filled christian...she had a very personal relationship with Jesus and she knew Amanda needed him! She prayed down on her knees, before any emergency help came to the scene, through getting her into the ambulance, through transporting Amanda across town to meet the helicopter. She prayed as the helicopter flew 50 miles to the medical center and landed on the landing pad of the hospital. It was then that she lost contact with the chatter from the scanner. Amanda was taken into the hospital. That was 4:49 a.m. January 26, 2008.
This faithful servant didn't stop there. She stayed on her knees, feeling the Holy Spirit telling her to continue to pray. Little did Martha know that we had arrived, not knowing what had happened, just that we needed to get to the hospital immediately, at 4:50 a.m. and told that she was taken into emergency surgery. We found out later that she had to be resuscitated. Martha prayed feverishly until about 10 a.m. then went to her grandson's home and enlisted her grandson and his wife (a young couple in their late twenties). The three of them prayed until around 2 p.m. when the wife of the grandson received a call from her mother telling her of Amanda's accident. We were notified that Amanda had come through multiple surgeries and would be taken into the INTENSIVE CARE UNIT soon to see her...that was at 2:30 p.m. January 26, 2008. You see we did not know Martha or the grandson but had grown up with the granddaughter-in-law and her mother. I think the Lord orchestrated this link so that the story would get back to us to offer us comfort, peace, and to show us his compassion, power and righteousness!
This is a true story...before we, Amanda's parents, grandparents, brother, aunts, uncles, priest, friends, all the circle of believers that we would call on to storm heaven with prayers for mercy, protection, deliverance, healing, and God's will...God, who knows all, see all, covers all for his purpose, had chosen a messenger and had Martha on her knees before the Lord! "I will send my messenger ahead of you who will prepare your way before you." Malachi 3:1/Matthew 11:10. Martha is a committed christian who in obedience and righteousness stepped out to cry out to the Lord for Amanda who also loves the Lord..."The Lord is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. The Lord watches over all who love him.." Psalm 145:17-20a. And because Amanda was fearfully and wonderfully made by God and he created her inmost being God loves her more than we can fathom and has a distinct plan...the scripture that He gave to me as Amanda's banner back in April of 2007 after her head-on-collision..."For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11
Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom! I will tell of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. I will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness! And thank you dear sweet Saint Martha!!!
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Not Just a Number!
I have a thing about hair. I have always wanted and kept long hair, enjoyed all the ways you can style and wear long hair, and even enjoy caring and brushing my hair.
When I first met my husband he had long, dark, thick hair (he has some Cherokee Indian genes). I was envious of how thick and dark his hair was. My daughter was born with a head full of her daddy's dark hair. As she grew, it took on a beautiful auburn red color with sparkling gold highlights when the sun hit it as if it was dusted with gold....thick and beautiful! My son's hair got much attention from me also but for the opposite reason. He was born bald and it wasn't until about 2 years of age that he grew any hair. But when he did it was the cutest blonde curls you could imagine. Not exactly boyish but remember he was a toddler. I loved those curls and couldn't keep my hands from stroking those little curls that covered that head!
Over the past year God has been helping me to dealing with totally putting my trust in him. Most of you know that this year has been a real test for me and my family...my daughter in April of 2007 was hit head-on in her car, then in July of 2007 she had to have emergency surgery, and then again she was in a devastating truck accident, that almost took her life, this January. My son works on two fire departments and is in EMT school, and my husband, who hasn't been without a job since he was 14 years old, has been laid off twice in the last 2 years! Yes, God is doing something in our lives and we are either going to sink or swim and we are swimming like crazy right now!
Anyway, God reminded me of this very small scripture in the book of Matthew but it shouted out to me. "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Matthew 10:29-31
God knows of everything that happens even to the sparrows and he tells us that we are much more important than they are. We are of so much value to him that he knows the number of every hair on our heads! WOW! Because God places such worth, such value on us we should never fear difficult trials. These can't turn God's love from us.
When I first met my husband he had long, dark, thick hair (he has some Cherokee Indian genes). I was envious of how thick and dark his hair was. My daughter was born with a head full of her daddy's dark hair. As she grew, it took on a beautiful auburn red color with sparkling gold highlights when the sun hit it as if it was dusted with gold....thick and beautiful! My son's hair got much attention from me also but for the opposite reason. He was born bald and it wasn't until about 2 years of age that he grew any hair. But when he did it was the cutest blonde curls you could imagine. Not exactly boyish but remember he was a toddler. I loved those curls and couldn't keep my hands from stroking those little curls that covered that head!
Over the past year God has been helping me to dealing with totally putting my trust in him. Most of you know that this year has been a real test for me and my family...my daughter in April of 2007 was hit head-on in her car, then in July of 2007 she had to have emergency surgery, and then again she was in a devastating truck accident, that almost took her life, this January. My son works on two fire departments and is in EMT school, and my husband, who hasn't been without a job since he was 14 years old, has been laid off twice in the last 2 years! Yes, God is doing something in our lives and we are either going to sink or swim and we are swimming like crazy right now!
Anyway, God reminded me of this very small scripture in the book of Matthew but it shouted out to me. "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Matthew 10:29-31
God knows of everything that happens even to the sparrows and he tells us that we are much more important than they are. We are of so much value to him that he knows the number of every hair on our heads! WOW! Because God places such worth, such value on us we should never fear difficult trials. These can't turn God's love from us.
The next time you run your hand through your hair or run your hand through the hair of your family member, the next time you brush your child's hair, or fix your husband's unruly locks, turn your eyes up toward the Father and thank him for having all those hairs numbered...for that is not just a number...that is a heap of love, worth, and protection!
"This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it--the Lord is his name: 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.' Jeremiah 33:2-3
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