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Thanksgiving Wishes We are very thankful this year. It has been a very busy
year and we can't believe it's already Thanksgiving again.
If you haven't already heard, Suzanne was in a bad car wreck last
December and Jeff made a website to update people along the way. We refer
to it as a wreck because we believe things we call 'accidents' are not
really accidental. God knows
everything that will happen and nothing takes Him by surprise.
He uses pain as part of our training program. This year has been a year of healing and Thankfulness.
We are very thankful to all the people who helped Suzanne stay alive and recover
so quickly! We are most Thankful to God for His comfort and healing touch.
***A few things we have learned this
year*** (Suzanne)
I learned how much Jeff loves me. I knew when we committed to
each other we said 'in sickness and in health,' but he really
showed me what that means.
Jeff stood by me the whole time, not knowing what was going
to happen and how I was going to end up. They told him I could
possibly be a different person because of the diffused axonal brain
injury problems. I
could be physically different- not moving my whole right side, not
being able to care for myself and Jeff having to dress and bathe me.
I could have lost all
of my memory, not being able to function because I didn't know how
to do normal tasks and many other things. (I didn't end up losing ANY
memory, except the month I was at The Med in TICU.) There are so
many things that could have changed. He had no idea how I would
end up and yet he loved me through it all. Hard times like this are
often the cause of the spouse leaving the one injured because of all
the pressure on them and not being able to deal with it. Jeff says God gave him the
strength to deal with everything the doctors brought up. The doctors were amazed at
Jeff's calmness and peace.
He said if I weren't going to make it, that he knew I would
be in heaven and that if I did make it, God would give him what he
needed to handle the situation. There is no way for me to
express my deep love for Jeff. He showed me he loved me through his
actions. The only thing I can do is to say, 'I love you
Jeff!' Do
what you're called to do, wherever you are. Stephen Thompson is
the man that called 911 after he saw the wreck happen. He is the
manager of the linen department at The Med. When he dialed 911, they
didn't know where we were and so he hung up on 911 and called The
Med directly. Knowing
the trauma dispatch number by heart happened to be something he knew
because of his job. That information is what
saved my life. People
only know 911. NO ONE knows the direct number to the hospital. His
job is managing the linen department. He was just doing what God
has called him to do. God placed him in the right
place and used him, just for me! God knew the information he knew
and God knew the information would be necessary in saving my
life. Just do what you
are called to do. God
is protecting every person alive. (For by Him all
things were created â?¦ and in Him all things hold
together.
Colossians 1:17)
There
are so many bad people in the world and it's only God's
protection that keeps our houses from being broken into more
frequently or being in car wrecks each time we're in a car. We drive and just trust
people to follow the street lights and we don't ALWAYS have
diseases. (with so much bacteria 'floating' around) That we can
eat food filled with pesticides and hormones while lacking in
nutrition for a lifetime and still survive. Really, it's God's grace
that holds the bad things back and we only see minimal trials pass
through His hands. If
He were not there restraining evil, it would be more rampant than it
is now. Our whole life
would be filled with bad things happening, everyday. He is the only
reason this doesn't happen. God
has great plans for every person whether a miracle has taken place
or not. People have commented that
God must have a great plan for my life to save me from such an
event. We met a man
who's wife had been in a triathlon for charity. In the biking portion
of the race, with her helmet on, she tipped over. She hit her head and
has been in a coma ever since May 18th. She was doing a very
good and normal everyday activity, and is in a coma. I was doing a
normal activity: riding as a passenger in a car. I don't think God has
anything more special for me than He does for everyone else. We
think because He did this fabulous miracle, (not trying to take away
from it's miraculousness at all, it really was a big miracle.)
that He MUST have BIG plans.
He is so powerful, we cannot comprehend the how's and what's
and why's. (Maybe it was just to get a lot of people
to focus on Him during Christmas). For God, it was a 'normal'
event. He is not
limited to time & space or even health. He surpasses it all
and holds it all together.
God has a special plan for ALL of
us. (Jeff) Changed lives: Some of Jeff's old friends that knew the Jeff from his B.C. days were surprised when they heard about the wreck and read the (revealing) web journal. They wondered where the inner strength came from and were surprised to see me cling to God so much. They ask if I was 'religious' before the wreck. (Background: I used to be very hard hearted, mean and independent.) I searched the world over and finally found true love... the only source of truth is in a dependant relationship with the One who embodies Truth. In 1985, I made a commitment to daily deny myself, take up my cross and follow Him. I'm just glad that He had been preparing me and shaping me, (through trials and failures) teaching me to trust and rely on Him. This is how I was at least a little prepared beforehand in my attitude and my expectations. 2 Cor. 1:3-11 Helplessness: It is a
stripping process to constantly realize that we really aren't in
control, the helplessness caused me to look up and open my hands and
say 'She is yours. I give her back to You and trust these
competent care givers to take Your care of her.' That is the
scariest and most liberating experience imaginable. He is
bigger than our formulas and bigger than the boxes we put Him into.
He uses His Word to
encourage us! I was constantly reminded of His Word. Daniel 3 came to mind, how
they were so confident in God's ability to rescue. They knew that
even if He didn't choose to rescue them, He was still worthy of
worship. God did choose to rescue them and the King said:
'Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego!' I tried
to have that healthy balance of confidence, while not presuming on
God's will. Grace &
encouragement: I experienced
first-hand the present reality of verses such as: 'We
may receive mercy and
find grace to help in time of need.'
(Heb
4:16)
'He has said to me,
'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in
weakness.' ' (2 Cor.
12:9 & 10) 'You will keep in perfect peace all who trust
in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you!' (Isaiah
26:3)
"This hope we have as an anchor of the soul."
(Hebrews
6:11)
'I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand, whispering to you,
'Fear not, I will help you.' ' (Isaiah 41:13)
I tried to keep Job's positive attitude, 'The Lord
gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the
Lord.' I knew that God is good and worthy of worship, even
if He chose not to heal Suzanne and let her live or even if he took
her home. Job responded to criticism by asking if we should
take the good and not the bad too, how can we accept the good from
God and not accept trials also. To me, the real trial in the
book of Job was this: Is God worthy of our worship even if the
'things' are taken away? Satan was accusing God of buying
worship with all the blessings and gifts. This is a challenge to us
to worship God irregardless of the situation or outcome. Like
the woman who anointed Jesus feet in Matthew
26:6-13, true worship
frees us up and can only come from a thankful heart. Ravi Zacharias calls this
'appreciation love' and equates worship with appreciation love.
(From mp3
'inner ache of loneliness'- listen for free on his website) Thanksgiving: I am very
Thankful to: all our friends who encouraged us and prayed for us,
(and still are) our company, CDS, for taking up the slack while we
were out of commission and all of the medical personnel who cared
for us. 'But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors
Me.' (Psalm
50:23) Speaking of Thanksgiving, our culture is trying to
turn a day of Thanksgiving into "Turkey Day" with no one to
thank. I've been very Thankful to God for His healing hand
and for being 'the God of all comfort.' (2
Co 1:3) If an airplane
pilot went back into a burning airplane to save me or a loved one,
I'd want to personally thank him. This Thanksgiving season,
who are we giving thanks to? Do we have a grateful, appreciative
heart? Remember to Whom we are to be Thankful. Life really is a gift. He doesn't HAVE to love
us, protect us and provide for us. He CHOOSES
to. With love, Jeff & Suzanne |