New Life…Abundant

July 6, 2012….

3 years…. 3 years…. 3years….

I wonder…  How can time go by so quickly and yet SO much can change… How can it feel like it was a long time ago and still hurt like it was yesterday… Do the vivid images and flashbacks eventually fade and if so, when will that happen… How have my children been affected in the long term… Will it always catch me off guard and will there always be an ache in my heart for the pain my son went through and what should have been the end of his life

These are some of my thoughts on a regular basis… 3 years later.

Here is what I know…

God knows all of these answers.  God understands and feels my pain.  God is not baffled by Luke’s accident. He knit Luke together and he ordained all of Luke’s days. (Psalm 139) God has worked it for good. (Romans 8:28)  Believe me that is a tough pill to swallow and I’m still choking it down, because my son had to suffer.   God does not promise this life will be easy instead he tells us in John 16:33, “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome the world.”   I just LOVE that verse!

I have seen firsthand the Incredible, Mighty, and All-Powerful hand of God.  There are no other explanations, nothing medical or scientific suggesting that Luke should be alive today.  I recently read a book and this one statement made my breath catch, “When a person has no brain activity, they are dead.”  That’s the exact picture that was painted for Ben and I in the ER that terrible day…all they could say was how very sorry they were.  Well, God said “Not yet!”  He heard our cry and showed us his love.

He has plans for my boy and Luke wants to know what they are! 🙂  He has a love for people, especially younger children and often the “underdog” so to speak.  Luke’s heart is kind and tuned in to the heart of God…I pray he remains there. I believe that God has given Luke a true peace about everything that has happened to him.  He just takes it all in stride without complaining or asking “why me?”.  He always has a smile for his docs never fusses about all the poking and sticking that is the regular routine for his life now.  I’ll say it for the rest of my life, “Luke is my hero!”  This Sunday, July 8th Luke and Andrew will be baptized!  I am so happy that the beginning of July will also be remembered for this special event in their lives and for their new life in Christ!!!

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but moving forward in spite of fear!”

“..Perfect love drives out fear..” 1 John 4:18     

So, right now I have 3 wonderful boys sleeping in the next room.  Luke, Andrew, and Carson are having a sleep over tonight.  We didn’t plan it because of the date, God just likes to give us those little nuggets of joy! Ben and I watched them run and play in the pouring rain.  They yelled and laughed and acted plain crazy out there…JOY!  They put on jeans and boots and took flashlights out in the backyard look for frogs and caught 6.  They were SO excited….JOY!  They sat around and laughed while eating cereal and then we all watched Wipeout, which they loved…JOY!  We made them do paper, rock, scissors to pick the showering order…which they didn’t love. 😉  When Ben tucked them in (well after 10pm), they had a special time of reflecting on that day, God’s goodness, and how much each of them has grown in the last 3 years.   It was these 3 boys who were playing together when that nightmare happened 3 years ago…and it was the same 3 boys who spent tonight playing, laughing, and enjoying life together… 3 years later!!!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!  

Love to you all,

Lindsey