One Year Ago, Tomorrow . . . Please Read.

I have to get this off my chest....

I cannot stop crying all week.
I cry for the horror of the moment, that I get stuck into again, and for the sheer joy of what has actually happened. I HAVE to share this with you!


Sunday May 11, 2008.
A year ago tomorrow...

If we only knew what God had planned for us today.....
It is 7:30am Saturday May 12, 2007.
In an hour I will send my DH off to work.

This time he will decide NOT to take one of the children to work with him as he normally does on Saturdays. "Let them sleep in." he says. "We had such a good time at the zoo yesterday, and I know they are tired." I tell him he is probably right and that I was glad that he just suddenly decided to join us at the zoo, instead of resting between jobs.


For the next three hours, the kids and I will mill around the house, recovering from our fun day with Daddy, as we play out in the front yard. We will come in, call Tiff about the fabulous photos from the zoo trip. It was a gorgeous day!


I will send DH a cell phone photo of the spaghetti I made him for lunch.

At 3:30 DH will text back that he is on his way home for lunch.
At 3:55 I will hear the Chopper as I put the chocolate cake in the oven.
At 3:55-3:57 I will call my DH's cell number over and over and over and over and over again and again, begging him to answer as I get closer and closer.
At 3:57 my youngest will recognize her father in the wreckage, just as I realize that it is "MY" car in twisted pieces.
At 3:57:01 I will cry out to God for mercy from the other side of the 9 foot wrought iron fence that separates us from getting to Daddy.


This photo courtesy of Stafford FD

I will be running to get around the fence. I don't know it, but over the next few moments, hours and weeks ahead we will be smothered in love, compassion, caring, understanding, help, food, service, laundry, child care, grocery runs, witnessing, gifts, cards, from people I have never met, bibles, shoulders and an opportunity to see one another like never before.


As they hold me back from getting to the chopper, my brain cannot imagine just how much God will bless us. I am clutching my three children by their shirts trying to claw through these irrelevant people. I cannot known just how much we are not going to loose, and in fact just how much we are in store for!

....................

 

The outer shell of my DH was crushed that day, allowing the real him to come out. I was blessed to be the one who got to tend to him. And we were so blessed to have so many of you tend to our needs. You taught us just how alone we were not. You taught us how to care for others. How to tend to others' needs. How to help without intruding. How to lend a hand, without taking over. How to help someone up to the cross without remarks about the timing. You taught us how to care like God would have.

In this year, we have turned everything over to God. We have learned just how unworthy we were. We have no idea why we were blessed. We simply feel grateful that our wishes synced up with whatever his plan is. We have learned just how many words there are not.... to describe what we have learned.

In this year, I have learned to recognize when my DH is looking into my eyes. We did 3,000,000 leg lifts and 15 awkward wheelchair hair washes. We cried 9,387,439,380,823,476 tears of joy. And enjoyed about two months worth of friends and family cooked meals.

When DH couldn't stand on Father's Day to be recognized as a father at church, another man stood for him with his hand on DH's shoulder. We never met that man, and never saw him again.

We settled out of court. We bought a home. On Christmas Day, we were able to play "Santa" to a very select group of people who allowed us the joy of watching their faces melt when we had the honor of sharing some joy with them. DH has graduated out of his wheelchair, unto crutches, then off crutches onto a cane, and now is walking without the aids, as if yes... nothing happened.

Except, if you look close, you can see his gate is different. Sure, one leg is shorter than the other, and he has to sit every few moments. But upon closer inspection, you can see his new walk. He walks with God, now. Did you see it? You are part of the reason!

 

If you ever wondered if your life has a purpose..... How can you argue that it might not? YOU have made all of the difference in the world. Every single gift to us made all of this happen.

 

I will spend this Mother's day crying all day. I cannot stop. I am so overwhelmed with joy and with gratefulness, humbleness and the joyfulness of God's love. I am dancing in my Dh's arms!

Thank you.


My heart sings a brand new song!
The debt is paid, These Chains are gone!
Emanuel!
God with us!

 

Jen, I'm sitting here in tears. I know the story, but am so blessed to hear it all again! You can truly say "What Satan meant for evil, God has turned into good." You have been mightily blessed, and the man who was in that wreck is gone. In his place, you have a "new, improved" Jack! Out of the wreckage....

 

OH my gosh...I, too, am in tears. What an awesome gift God has given to you. To sit here today and look back at all God has done is so amazing. I am so thankful and blessed to have had the opportunity to watch God work in your lives over the last year...for saving Jack...not only from the accident, but eternally!

And thank you for sharing with us this very special time with us!

Praise God!!!!

 

Praise God!!

 

Thank you, Jen! My dear husband and I could not make it all the way through without crying. We are so thankful!

Thank you for being who you are,
For letting God touch your lives,
And for recognizing Who touched you.
And thank you for wrapping words around your experience
And sharing it with us!

Thank you for letting us share in the happy tears!
You have blessed us all!

 

Jen, your words are amazing!! God has truly blessed your family this year. Though the trials were great, you have learned to lean on Him. I praise Him that you and your Dh are now His, and I rejoice to have you as my brother and sister in Christ. Happy Mother's Day, my friend!

 

Thank you guys!

 

((((hugs)))) What an incredible story of God's love and protection.

 

Jen, I was in tears as well! What vivid memories! I can feel your pain (again), and I can feel your joy (again)! I can feel your awe at how God worked through this horrible situation! What a great summary of how God has worked in and changed your lives!

Do miracles still happen? Oh yes!!! YOU know that! You can share that, as you have, with others, and help them see how real God is! And how He, only He, can take such a bad situation and turn it into something very beautiful!

The limp is worth the price to have your family home, where God has ALWAYS wanted you!!!

Thankyou for letting us share in your pain when it happened, and share in your joy, with the way things worked out. And thankyou for letting us share in the memories now!

We love you girl! :love:

 

I cried as I read your story, and then through my tears I smiled because I saw that God had turned tragedy into celebration. I'm thankful every day for what God has given my family and your story well it makes what we have all the more precious because we know that in an instant our lives can change. God Bless you and your family, and thank you for sharing your story.

 

Thank you. I wasnt around during this trial in your life. I'm in awe of what your family has overcome.
God is so good.

 

What a great testimony of God's love to us. Praise Him!!! and you for being faithful!!!

 

What an amazing story! Thank you for sharing it!

 

Jen, wow how times fly... I remember that time too, it was very hard for you all. But, you all are so strong and made it and came out a better person. Thanks so much for sharing the wonderful story.

 

Jen I will never ever forget that day or the day before. I couldn't believe that I had just met you all and spent such a fun day at the zoo only one day before. I remember when you called and told me what had happened and how even though I had just met you I felt such sorrow and fear for you all. I remember having to tell my girls. Then I remember seeing him only 3 months later at the Not Back to School party and how well he was healing!! I got to witness first hand the outpouring of love for you guys.

I am so glad he has healed so well by the Grace of God. God is an awesome God!! Thank you for sharing that story.

 

Jen, thank you for reminding us all how fragile life can be and how with strength, faith, friends, and love, we can make it through just about anything. I am so happy that you are all doing well now and that your lives have been changes in such a positive.

I can't believe it has been a year.

 

God is so GOOD! PTL!!! Thank you for blessing us with your story! God bless you and your family!