September 23, 2011

  • Five years later

    This weekend marks a 5 year anniversary of a terrible event.  This post is being written with permission.  And I also have permission to link it to Betsy's blog.

    I am swimming in tears.  I can barely see to type.  But this is nothing compared to the emotions of 5 years ago, when I thought I wouldn't take another breath because it hurt so much.

    But it is also the anniversary of a time of learning more about God and His grace than I ever thought I would know.  God gave me this verse from Isaiah 43, all those years ago:

    Isaiah 43: 2 

    When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;  and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;  when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

    I watched while God changed the life of my daughter, drew her to Himself, and strengthened her in ways that I cannot fathom.  Yes, the days and weeks and months were difficult.  Yes, we hurt, we asked God, "Why?", we were often immobilized with pain.  But we bonded together as a family in an incredible way.  We watched while Betsy lived Isaiah 43, while God held her up through the waters and through the flame.  And she emerged as gold.

    So, on this anniversary of pain, I will do as I have done every year on this day.  I pray, I knit (although I told Betsy that I am not knitting anything stress free right this minute, but I am going to work on my paper pieced Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt, instead, this year), and I struggle through a weekend of wondering how she is doing and what she is doing and trusting that God, who promised that He redeemed her and called her by name, is taking care of her.

    Five years ago, when anyone asked me if I was ok, I replied, "No, and I never will be again."  This year I can reply, "Yes, by the grace of our sovereign Lord and Savior, who did not promise that we will never have trouble, but Who promised that He will uphold us in His righteous hand, I am ok."

Comments (4)

  • It seems so trite to say, but I know it to be true because I have been through great trauma, as well.  God is so FAITHFUL!  And He draws us to Himself, sometimes without our even know it, and one day we see that we are being healed!

  • thank you for this post. Today was a hard day for me~ memories. But to sit down at the computer, the house is quiet and I am alone, and I read you blog.

    It was meant to be read by me, at just this moment.

    Thank you

  • You and Betsy and the rest of the family have gone through the fire for sure and have come out sweet, loving and believing in good.

  • All I can say is AMEN! God IS good!

Comments are closed.

Post a Comment