Thank you to all who checked this blog and FB page to see if I'd posted something new. We've been traveling and then our world was shaken.
While we were away, my sister-in-law injured her spinal cord in a fall and was paralyzed from the neck down. She has since regained some feeling and has significant arm movement, but she has a long road of rehabilitation ahead of her. She is an inspiration to her family and friends with her optimistic outlook, sense of humor and sheer determination. How would you respond if you woke up one morning and your life was so dramatically changed? I hope I would respond like Kate.
Her accident immediately drove my husband and me to pray for her complete healing. Jesus encourages us to pray with persistence (Luke 18) and with "shameless audacity" (Luke 11). I just read last night how Peter and John healed a lame man: "Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” And the man went with them, walking and jumping and praising God. (Acts 3) I can just see Kate doing that now, especially the jumping and praising part! "Kate, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth walk!" My husband and I, along with many others, continue pray to God for Kate throughout the day with persistence and shameless audacity.
Our prayers are accompanied by helping Kate and her family in the ways that we can. We've also taken a deep breath and recommitted ourselves to what is important.
Love life. It is short and precious. Treat it as the valuable gift from God that it is. Don't waste your days on things that aren't important.
Be grateful. Thank God each day for what you do have and what you can do. Our natural inclination is to ask "why" this happened and perhaps seek to place blame, but that is counterproductive. Don't wallow in negativity. Instead, embrace the positive wherever you can find it. God is there with us, if we will only seek Him out.
Have faith. Look for good to come out of this. My husband's family has faced many tragedies but something good has always come out of them. Often they didn't know what that was until long after the time of sadness. Since I met them, I have been amazed at how strong, steady and optimistic they are when bad things happen. They are living proof of Paul's statement: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28). We have faith that the same thing will happen.
Hold on to hope. Hope is the most powerful of healers and the greatest of motivators. Our hope is anchored in the love of God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and the love we have for each other. It is not a wishful optimism but a firm reliance on the Creator and Savior of the Universe.
Please pray for my sister-in-law Kate and for yourself. Take a deep breath and recommit yourself to what is important: faith, hope and love.
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