My Turn to Reflect

Okay...my mom posted her thoughts.  Now she tells me I need to do this.  So I will.  Do I really have a choice?  :)

Sixteen years ago, after making a "Select Soccer team" on Saturday morning, I went to my first soccer practice with my new team.  The next morning, on July 10, 1996, I went to the hospital early that morning for surgery.  I was not scared.  I was not nervous.  I remember playing basketball in the waiting room because this was ONLY hernia surgery..."a piece of cake," they said.  After all, I had already had three open heart surgeries.  This WOULD be a piece of cake...  Or so I thought.

As they took me through the double doors into the operating room, I remember turning around, seeing my parents, and saying, "I love you, Mom.  I love you, Dad."  Life was never to be the same after that..

What do I think about now 16 years later?  I think things like this:  Why did God allow this to happen to me?  What would my life have been like had I not been brain injured?  What is God's plan for me now?  How can I impact people for Him?  How can I encourage others who live through difficult circumstances, beyond their control?

I have no idea, really, the answers to these questions.  But who really does?  None of us knows what will happen tomorrow.  None of us has any guarantees that we will even wake up tomorrow.  I never dreamed on July 9, 1996, that I would be so seriously brain injured on July 10.

But God knew.  My injury was no surprise to Him.  He had a plan.  He was working out His plan for my life, as difficult as that is for me to believe sometimes.  But He is, and He is still working out His plan in my life, even though I don't yet know what that plan really is.  Maybe I will never know.  He just tells me to live for Him one day at a time.

Let me tell you this, though.  John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but will have everlasting life."  And that pretty much says it all.  I may be brain injured, but I still have a hope because I trusted the Lord Jesus as my Savior many years ago.  I know this life is not all there is.  And that is what I am trying to get across to you.  If you would just trust in Jesus Christ who is The Way, The Truth, and The Life, you would have the same hope that I do.  Give Him a try; He will not fail you.  Your life will never be the same.  (And then let me know how it is going with you.)

I said, this life is not all there is.  Why?  Because when I get to heaven, I will have a new body.  I will be perfect and whole, and everything will work as it should.  I will trade in this old, brain injured body for a new one.  And even though you may not be brain injured, you still have a body that "sucks," to be blunt.  If it works well now, it might not tomorrow...or next year...or in ten years.

The bottom line is this:  You never know.  You might be like me--one minute you can do whatever you feel like doing, and the next minute, you could be in a hospital room fighting for your life.  So, if you know the Lord, live like it is your last day because who knows?  It might be!  Make every day count for the Lord!   And...if you don't know Him, what are you waiting for?  Start here:  Get a Bible and start reading in the Book of John, chapter one.   And as you read, remember that it is never too late as long as you still have a breath.  Make the most important decision of your life today.   Put your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, the One Who will never let you down. The One Who will never leave you nor forsake you.  You will not regret it.  I guarantee it.  And someday I will see you in heaven--with a new body, just like mine!

This is Daniel's blog, of course, but I thought I'd weigh in today since his injury is fresh on my heart and in my mind.  Tomorrow will be 16 years!  Sixteen years!  I can't believe it!  It is interesting, that as I journal my way through the Psalms, two of my favorite Psalms "came up" yesterday and today...Psalm 40 and 41.  I love those Psalms as they have such rich meaning, memories, treasures for me...so many thoughts...so many heart-wrenching prayers...so many painful yet beautiful memories.

Sixteen years ago tomorrow, early in the morning, we took our precious, intelligent, athletic, strong-willed yet gentle son to the hospital for what was to be "routine" hernia surgery.  Hours later, we were given back a terribly brain-injured little boy who was left fighting for his life--complete with tubes, wires, IV's, and ventilator.  How our lives were turned upside down...our precious son's life never to be the same again.

AND YET...God in His mercy--as He always does--reached down and touched us.  Loved us.  Held us.  Carried us...in ways we could have never dreamed or imagined (Ephesians 3:20).  He has lifted us out of the miry clay, given us a firm place to stand...and put a new song in our mouths--Praises to our loving, all-merciful God.  Many have seen and feared and trusted in the Lord because of His marvelous works!  (Psalm 40:1-3)

AND NOW...We praise the Lord.  We praise Him for His marvelous works of love, mercy, and kindness.  We praise Him for the new life He has given us. We praise Him for Daniel's love for life, for Daniel's humor, for Daniel's "Barnabas-like personality."  For Daniel's Smile.  (Oh, how I love that smile!)  We praise Him for sparrows.  We praise Him for blessings beyond measure.  Who could have known, 16 years ago, that life could be so sweet, so treasured, so beautiful.  Only God.  God knew then...and all He asked us to do was to trust Him.

  As difficult as that was then, I'm so thankful we did. I'm so thankful He lovingly loved me when I was so angry with Him.  I'm so thankful for the dead sparrow in my path...a constant picture to me of God's loving--oh, so loving--care.  I'm so thankful that He didn't give up on me.  What a faithful, compassionate, tender Heavenly Father!

I leave you with passages from one of my favorite Psalms...

"I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me and heard my cry.
He also brought me up out of a horrible pit; out of the miry clay.
He set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.
He has put a new song in my mouth--Praises to our God.
Many will see it and fear and will trust in the LORD."  (Ps. 40:1-3)

God is good--ALL THE TIME.