This Is My Story

January 12, 2013

The day my foot slipped on the first step of a pull down ladder while coming out of the attic, and I fell 17 feet, breaking my neck and damaging my spinal cord.  I spent 5 weeks recovering from surgery and going through rehab until they decided I was ready to come back home again.  My doctor called me the miracle woman, said it should have killed me, or at least paralyzed me. But it didn't, if for no other reason than to give Him glory!! I will say, it did change me ... in many ways!
 
A little over a year before the accident, I bought the book, "1000 Gifts".  It's all about giving thanks in and for all things. Pretty radical!! I had just started reading it when our oldest daughter, Brianna, and her husband, Peter, who were living in Virginia at the time, had their first baby.  They called to let us know that things didn't look good, Janae had inhaled meconium and her lungs were badly damaged.  The team worked on her for hours before she was lifeflighted to UVA.  Mommy and daddy didn't even get to see her!  Being 3000 miles away and not knowing what was going on back there was devastating to me.  I looked at that gifts book and said that's crazy!  I am not, and cannot, be thankful for this!! And I set it aside.

But Jesus, the Gentle Shepherd ... He had begun a good work in me and He didn't quit.  Slowly as I continued to seek Him, He showed me the way of Praise and Thanksgiving.   After my great fall from the attic, I knew I just wanted Him to get all glory and praise for whatever happened. He showed me how pain and praise go hand in hand, how praise brings me into His presence, how He gives grace when I give Him glory.  It wasn't - and still isn't - always easy and there are still times of tears, but it comes back to the verse I had underlined  just hours before I fell. 
Psalm 42:8, "Yet the Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life."

It was almost three months after the accident until I was able to attend church.  I remember it clearly.  Where I sat,  the awe of gathering with believers, the reading of the Word, Psalm 18, I believe,  "The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower."  And the songs, they took on a whole new meaning!! We sang,
"Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone, 
Because I know Who holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because He lives!" 
Did I really mean that? Did I really believe that all fear was gone?!!  I was still wearing that awful neck brace, and still in so much pain!! I think I cried a lot that morning! 

The Bible talks a lot about telling of Gods mighty acts and His wonderful works to the children of men.  It also tells us that we should tell the generations to come of the great things he has done, of His faithfulness and His love. 

Psalm 45:17  I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations:  therefore shall the people praise thee forever and ever.
Psalm 79:13  So we thy people and the sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks forever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.

This is the reason I'm starting to blog.  I want to give glory to God, to give Him praise among the people so future generations see what great things He has done!!  I also want to share some songs that have blessed me, so that together we can praise Him all the day long!

Here is my favorite family, taken a year ago today at Davie and Camille's wedding in our back yard.  We have five daughters and four sons.  Our oldest five children are married and we have 12 grandchildren!  Janae is the healthy sparkling four year old standing in front by Davie!!  We are so blessed!!!