April 27th, 2011 - Thirteen Months Later...O to be a funny looking tree!

On April 27, 2011, tornados ripped through my home state of Alabama. Every town in Alabama that I had ever lived in was hit by these deadly twisters, including my current home of Tuscaloosa. Although my home and family were spared the wrath of these storms, so many were not as lucky as me. You cannot drive through many parts of this state without still seeing the massive destruction left even 13 months later. Every day at work at the hospital, I look out a window that faces the destruction of Tuscaloosa and think about what happened that day and how over 50 people lost their lives as a result of the storm. Beside this window is a picture that was taken from the exact location 13 months ago. Those who were standing there watching, say it was headed straight for the hospital but turned at the last minute, giving only a glancing blow. I am left to wonder what would have happened to my town if the hospital had been hit. Tuscaloosa is coming back but there are still so many reminders of that day. I remember going through the damaged areas door to door providing care in those first few days, and those images will be with me for my life. But what sticks with me the most is seeing these huge trees pulled up from their roots and tossed about by the winds. Some trees withstood the winds though, even some that took a direct hit, and I remember wondering why that tree did not fall. Somewhere along the recovery path, I began to feel a bond with some of those funny looking trees. What was so special about the tree that it kept standing? Why was my home and family spared the death and destruction that so many others were facing? I have watched these trees over the last 13 months and have celebrated every new bloom and leaf that has indicated new life coming back. So many of us, whatever we are struggling with, whether it be autism or loss of relationship or loved one, can relate to these strong trees. And as I drive by these special funny looking trees, I pray... Thank you God for my roots. My family gives me strength to make it through every day, and I am firmly planted in God's love. No matter the highs or lows, whatever storm comes for me, I am a child of God and I know that when my eyes close here in death, I will be rejoicing with my Saviour for eternity. Thank you God for my bark. My armour shields me against many attacks, but sometimes, like those trees, the storms take my protection away and I, laid bare, must rely again on you for my protection instead of myself. Thank you God for my new growth. I praise You when the bad parts of me are taken away. Sometimes I have things in my life that although not bad, prevent me from the better plan you have for me, and therefore are necessary to be pruned away. Those hurt deeply, but you rain down new blessings upon me that lead to new growth and a closer walk with You. O, to be a funny looking tree!

The Great I Am...Easter 2012

Today's sermon for Easter was about Hope. Where and who do we put our hope in? What do we hope for? My hope has been in my Lord since I believed in Him and turned my life over so many years ago. My hope for my children to know Christ had been present from the first moment I knew I was pregnant, but it was almost destroyed when I was told my child had autism. How does a child with autism understand God? My son has such a concrete brain and the thought of him understanding something that he can't touch has been a stumbling block in my own faith since he was diagnosed with autism over 4 years ago. God has been working on me about this weakness in my faith for a long time and I had come to believe again that God could reach my child, but I didn't know how. My heart has been feeling the need to talk to my son more and more about God recently and today at church while singing the song "The Great I Am", my prayers for God to make himself known to my son through the death and resurrection of His Son reached a new level of urgency. I was overcome by emotion and there is no telling what people were thinking, but I didn't care. I was in the presence of my Savior and He was all I needed. In those moments, I could see where my son was in the church and I knew God was there with Him making Himself known. Opening up the first glimpse into His Being and telling my son about His Son. God spoke to my heart and gave me a peace that surpasses understanding. I knew that the process of God opening up my son's heart to Him was started. I prayed fervently for God to use me in my son coming to know Him. After Church, I went to the computer to find a video of the song and came across a youtube version that someone had created of the song to the Jesus video. My son came and watched it with me and asked lots of questions. He learns so much more through seeing than hearing and I know the video spoke to him on a new level. He even asked to watch it again hours later.

As I rejoice knowing that God is at work here in my son's heart, I am left a little ashamed that I have not been as fervent in my prayers for all the lost. God, help me to see the lost as you do and to have the same urgency for their salvation as I have for my son. Now if that happens for us all who profess to be saved by Christ's blood, then we are in for a mighty change!

Lyrics: "I wanna be close, close to your side. So Heaven is real, and death is a lie. I wanna hear voices of angels above, singing as one...(chorus)Hallelujah, Holy, Holy, God Almighty, the Great I Am. Who is Worthy? None beside Thee. God Almighty, The Great I Am. I wanna be near, near to Your heart. Loving the world, hating the dark. I want to see dry bones living again, singing as one...(chorus)... The mountains shake before Him, the demons run and flee at the mention of the name, King of Majesty...There is no power in hell, or any who can stand before the power and the presence of the Great I Am.