Wow, how scary! Praise God he is not paralyzed! I don't think God made him crash, but I know God can work through this situation in a way that maybe your son wouldn't have been open to before? You have a great attitude about it all and I will certainly be praying that things work out for the best, and that he can find God in all of this somewhere!
Praying that God will use this situation to bring your son home. My husband was practicing a song to sing at church yesterday. He was singing "Praise You in this Storm" (by Casting Crowns). I don't know if you are familiar with the song but the words are: I was sure by now God you would have reached down and wiped our tears away, stepped in and saved the day. But once again, I say amen that it’s still raining as the thunder rolls I barely hear your whisper through the rain, I’m with you and as your mercy falls I raise my hands and praise the God who gives and takes away. Chorus: And I’ll praise you in this storm and I will lift my hands that you are who you are no matter where I am and every tear I’ve cried you hold in your hand you never left my side and though my heart is torn I will praise you in this storm I remember when I stumbled in the wind you heard my cry you raised me up again my strength is almost gone how can I carry on if I can’t find you and as the thunder rolls I barely hear you whisper through the rain I’m with you and as your mercy falls I raise my hands and praise the God who gives and takes away Chorus I lift my eyes unto the hills where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth I lift my eyes unto the hills where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth When he was singing, I thought of you (and Syele and Lorna) and the trials you are facing now. I pray that you all find your strength in God. Know that prayers are being lifted up for you each and every day!
You know, sometimes it takes us flat on our backs to get us looking up. My DH has given God "permission" (as if God needs our permission!) to do whatever needs to be done to his boys to get them turned around. Do we want them to go through an experience like this? Of course not! But if that will turn them around, then so be it! Am praying that this is the first step of his return.
I'm so sorry thing had to turn out this way. But he is found and hopeful now he can find the lord again and turn things around. I will cont. to pray for you guys!
What a perfect song, Sixcloar! Everybody's messages are so strengthening! I'm praying for the other needs shared here, too, & am believing that our God is so pleased with this visible account, (here at Homeschool Spot), of His mightly hand at work. We WILL record miracles!
Praise God! Pastor Walters just called on his way home from visiting ds in the hospital! He was so-o-o encouraging! 'Promised to keep in touch. 'Said there was hope. Sometimes we need others to have hope for us. Sometimes it's easier to have hope for others than for ourselves! Maybe that's how the Body is supposed to function? I'll be gone for a day or two. Know my heart is full of gratitude & that I'm carrying you all in my prayers also. 'Be back soon.
Glad to hear the pastor has made contact and has given you hope. I love seeing how God is working on the site with so many people.... still praying!
We have so much to be thankful for: neck, back, left wrist, & right shoulder broken AND his friends moved him quite a ways before they even knew anything was wrong--all without severing the spinal cord! He says, however, that his marriage is broken worse than his body... In Destined for the Throne,the author, Paul Billheimer, claims on p.70 that "By His own choice, the Spirit alone cannot bring a soul to birth." And on p. 71, "The Church's part as intercessor is just as necessary as the Spirit's part." I've been contemplating that. His analogy is the human family and the husband-wife relationship. He quotes Roman 7:4, "...ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God." Also on p. 70, "through the work of the Spirit, in answer to the believing prayer of the true Church or members thereof, the sinner is brought to the place of voluntary repentance and faith for forgiveness. And God, the one who alone has power to forgive sin, does the actual absolution. However since THIS TAKES PLACE ONLY AS A RESULT OF THE CHURCH'S TRAVAIL..." (I added the caps.) I believe he asserts that no one can be saved without someone praying for them. His logic seems pretty good, but I'm wondering about our role in someone else's salvation, specifically for our son... especially since you all were so recently deliberately upholding him, and then his life was spared... I have so many questions about the role of prayer, along with praise!
I also believe that a marriage is sometimes like bones. When they are broken, if properly set, they will grow back straight, and the break is even stronger than before. But it has to be set correctly. THe question is, is he willing to work at it, admit his past mistakes, and take the time to make the corrections? And is his wife willing to admit her mistakes and make the effort?
I attended a Women's conference this weekend at my church. One of the speakers had an excellent explanation of how a mariage should work. I hope I can get somewhere close to her picture of marriage: In order for marriage to work we have to fall in love with Prince Charming. But Prince Charming is not our spouse. Prince Charming is Jesus. He must be our first love. She went on to say that when our husbands fail us forgiveness is not a choice, but something that we HAVE to do. Because Jesus is our first love, and He forgave us (ALL our sins), we have no choice but to forgive our husbands. This came from a women who had been married for years and through her husbands' unfaithfulness, contracted an STD that led to cervical cancer. (She had no idea of the unfaithfulness until her doctor told her of the STD.) Her story reflected on her struggle with forgiveness and how God used her circumstances to bring her to a love relationship with Christ which in turn brought total forgiveness for her husband. There is no way I can make the impression here that she made, but I hope that I gave you a glimpse of how important Christ is within the marriage relationship. Prairie Home, There is a reason God allowed this to happen to your son. (I know that you know that.), and I pray that He will use this to bring your son and dil home to Him and each other.
Wow...that is good. It is easy to lose tht perspective in this world, but if you try and keep it fresh in your life all the time, it really does make all the difference in your marriage. My husband and I have been involved in a marriage group for about 10 years, and I know that it is because of that group holding us accountable to keeping Jesus first, we are blessed with the marriage we have today! Still praying here!
God bless you all! Jackie, each seems to be nursing their own grieviances, which is easy to do. I have been thinking about your analogy of a broken marriage being somewhat like a broken bone, which then heals and becomes stronger than ever. Today, I took that & applied it also to their spiritual life, which seems so fragile right now: God preserved ds's important spinal cord, when another centimeter jolt could have severed it! How much more is He interested in preserving faith?! Their spiritual life is infinitely more valuable; so today I "held" your words like a parable in my thoughts. I am deciding to use the preservation of spinal function as a symbol to give me hope that their spiritual life and the marriage will be preserved also. What an amazing testimony of forgiveness, Sixcloar! Someone said, "To love is human. To forgive is divine."
OK, I'm going to grab a few minutes here, before a homeschool teen girl's "tea" at our home, and thank you dear women for being the "hands that let down the rope" of the sick man's bed, when he was lowered into the house where Jesus was teaching. I know that your interest & prayers have helped sustain ME as well as effectuate God's work in our son's life. I'm feeling so numb, yet I've been able to mostly function normally. The weekend that ds flew off the four-wheeler, we were also hosting our older dd's birthfamily & had numerous other commitments. During several "coincidents," my husband & I said, "Someone must be praying for us!" Also, dd was a superb blessing. (Younger daughter was visiting friends & thankfully missed some of the anxiety. Jer. 33:3 Call unto me, & I will answer thee & show thee great & mighty things, which thou knowest not. As we "labor" in prayer for our sons, it's hard to imagine, but let's believe that one day soon they will understand the depth and height and breadth of God's love for them & respond to His call on their lives.
Call us "Mr. & Mrs. Manoah," who "wist not that the LORD was in it," when their ds went down to visit the Philistians. Not that what he did pleased the Lord, but God used even Samson's relationship with the Phil's to accomplish His purposes; &, in fact, Sam eventually repented, gained great faith, & died in an act of heroism. Hence, he's listed in the Heb. 11 "Hall of fame." What a trial for his mom and dad, though--they, who had actually seen an angel & had received such wonderful prophecies about their Nazarite son--a son of faith! They & we will certainly have a lot in common to share about in heaven! We're still watching & praying for the miracle of restoration to happen... I hang on to hope more on some days than on others, but I know that God is God & that nothing is impossible with Him.
Unless the LORD does another miracle, it looks like the marriage may be headed for the ugly "d" word. How we love these "kids!" I told my dear dil that no matter what happens, she'll always be my daughter-in-love. I long to see "around the bend," to what God has in mind. Something good will come out of all of this, & I know He won't waste my sorrow.
DS is on two types of pain killers. He says that if he doesn't keep the dosage up high enough, he starts to tremble with pain. It could be a lot worse. God is merciful. We appreciate all the prayers!
