Thanksgiving

The last 48 hours have been a whirlwind. I’ve been reminded that life can change in an instant. We aren’t guaranteed tomorrow, or even the rest of today. We can’t take the time and people God’s given us for granted.

Wednesday afternoon started like any other at our house. My older two children had just gotten home from school. They were snacking and we had just started homework when my dad “just happened" to stop in with the groceries he had picked up for us. As we busily put things away my kids were playing…

And then my life shattered. The cacophony of breaking glass echoed through our home. The kids were chasing each other. My son had run out our front storm door and my daughter was hotly in pursuit. As the door flew back, she thought it would simply push open. Instead, she went through it.

As I ran into our living room, the scene I walked into will forever be ingrained in my memory. As she turned to me with a gash opening her stomach, she looked into my eyes and asked, “Mom, am I going to die?” and in that moment… I didn’t know. Friends, life can change in a second!

But God is faithful! As I looked out onto the horizon in flight to the children’s hospital, in the minutes where life balances between what is and what could be, I was reminded of what I wrote a few weeks ago. I said that whatever 2024 held for us we would be ok because God’s, “our Abba- Father, El Shaddai- God Almighty, Immanuel- God with Us, Jehovah Jireh- Our Provider, Yahweh-Rapha- The Lord Our Healer, Yahweh-Shalom- The Lord Our Peace, and he’s the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and He’s all we need!”

As my phone lay in my lap, with each vibration, I knew without looking how the texts read. “I’m praying, we’re praying…” And in those moments, he stood true to who he is, and always will be. The peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:7) washed over me. I knew, no matter what happened, no matter how this turned out, it was going to be ok, because I knew who was in control.

I posted these words over Hadley’s bed this past weekend.

Every one of them comes from scripture, his word. And as I walked back through the door yesterday, where everything started, I looked up at the wall and saw this.

But you see friends, our house was already built on the rock when the storm came raging through our home on Wednesday afternoon. The scriptures that cover the walls of our home, the ones we stand on, and pray over our children, they are alive, and don't come back void!

In Ephesians 6, Paul tells us our battle isn’t against flesh and blood. That it’s spiritual. It's where he instructs us to put on the full Armor of God. Every morning before our kids walk out the door we pray and put on the Helmet of Salvation, Breastplate of Righteousness, Sword of the Spirit, Shield of Faith, Belt of Truth, and Shoes of Peace.

Wednesday we were having one of those mornings all parents can relate to. I was irritated and almost didn’t do it. I looked at them and said, “Do one of you want to pray this morning?” Hadley is the one who said, “I’ll do it.” She’s the one who put on our armor that day. The one who pled the blood of Jesus over our home and family.

His word says, no weapon formed against us will prosper! (Isaiah 54:17) It also says in Genesis 50:19-20, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

Some people will say we were lucky, but we know the truth. You see, we know there is no such thing as luck. We know we were part of a miracle. His hands were upon us. His angels all around us.

Our daughter is going to be fine. She has no internal injuries and will have no long-term effects from her wounds. Within a few weeks all that will remain will be our memories and the scars she'll bear, which will always be the reminder of his faithfulness!

The scripture God gave me at the beginning of this year was Hebrews 10:23, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for HE who promised is FAITHFUL.”

Friends, what have you built the house of your life on? Will it stand when the storms come? Because they will. If you haven’t already asked him, he wants to be your savior. The king over your heart and life. Without him we have nothing.

This was the song my husband was listening to when I called him to tell him what was happening Katy Nichole - In Jesus Name (God of Possible) (Lyric Video), and this was the one playing on our way home from the hospital. Evidence (Studio) - Josh Baldwin

Lamentations 3: 22-23 "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; GREAT is your faithfulness!"

2 Corinthians 1:3-11 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many."

Give Thanks (with a grateful heart) (with lyrics)