Here's an example:
Last week, we got news that a man...many of us knew him as one of the following: friend, brother in Christ, former classmate, husband, father, grandson, and son, had been killed in a plane crash. He was a pilot. That is horrible, tragic, and shocking news. Add to that that in his death, his wife was left a widow for the SECOND time...and she's 32, maybe 33 years old. Twice widowed. They have 2 children...a little boy, age 3 years and little girl, age 6 months. This woman blows my mind...in the face of tragedy, she doesn't think twice about saying, "This is God's plan for my life." Sure, I think that deep down, we might all know that... but I'm willing to confess to you right now that I don't know if I'd be able to voice that immediately after learning that my second husband had died suddenly.
That happened on Wednesday. Fast forward to yesterday...Sunday. My mother gets a call from my brother who is with his family in Tuscaloosa visiting his sister-in-law that has just had her first child. He tells mom that they are in the ER with Sam, my nephew. Now, if any of you know Sam...this wouldn't really be shock. We're all quite surprised that he's never been to the ER before...considering that he only knows one speed...WIDE OPEN! So, we assumed it was for stitches, maybe even a broken bone. Ethan then proceeds to tell her that everything is OK, Sam is going to be fine, but they had found him floating in the pool of the people they were staying with. I can't really explain how I felt when I heard this news. I just know that I can't count how many times I've thanked and praised God since we got that call... because it has a happy ending! Would I have been so inclined to shout it from the rooftops if the story had a different outcome? That has really given me something to think about!
Thank God for all he does for us. Although we can't see the big picture that He clearly has for us, I know that I trust Him...even if it might be hard to grasp it and proclaim it sometimes.
Right now, I'm thankful for my precious nephew.
It was a very scary and emotional day for everyone in our family yesterday, especially his parents. I thank God that He spared Sam, and I thank God for the kind of parents Ethan and Lisa are. They are wonderful, attentive parents, and they need to be reassured of that. Thanks for all your prayers and phone calls! It means a lot to us all! Also, please continue to pray for the Faulkner family during their time of grief and loss. "Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!." Psalm 150:6
