Where is God?

"Where is God?” This is the question I recall asking along with a dear friend when I was only eighteen years old. I imagine there could even be some here today that are asking, or have asked, themselves this very same question. If I were able to go back in time and talk to the two young ladies sitting in a park pondering the existence of God, I would very confidently say, “He is here!”

How can I say this so confidently? I have seen it myself through the years. I may not see God in the tangible sense but I know that His hand is the hand that holds mine, his path is the one that directs where my every step lands. I could rhyme off numerous situations where I have understood, if only after the fact, that God was watching over and caring for me, just like I know He cares for you.

One incident in which this rang true was on November 29^th of this year. It was a relatively normal morning. My husband, who would’ve normally been on his way to work already, was dusting the snow off the van. I was rising a little earlier due to the sound of my four year old speaking to her Daddy, even though he wasn’t able to hear her, from inside the house. Then, I heard a strange type of noise. I wasn’t sure if it was something wrong with the fan in our bathroom or strange breathing coming from my daughters’ room. My oldest had come down with a “regular cough” the day before, which was passed on by her other two siblings. After deciding that I wouldn’t lie in bed but I would check on my child, if indeed it was Grace, the noise rattled me when I entered her room. Without turning on her light, I wanted to know if my husband was home. I sensed internally that something was really wrong. I ran outside in my socks and asked Mr. Man to come inside to check on our daughter. He had heard her but thought her strange breathing was just due to her feeling ill. I felt my daughter’s arms and they were practically ice-cold. My heart pounded in my chest and I turned on her touch-lamp. She was out of it. I touched her chest and she was breathing but her face was very pale and her lips were also. We tried to shake her awake and she would not respond. Her eyes were just floating and she could not be roused. Who knew how long she had been this way? I tried to count the rate of her breaths and her heart rate but the adrenaline was rushing and a toddler and preschooler were in the room. I decided to just call 911. I remember saying, “I’m not going to let her die.”

Let’s pause for a moment here. One might say, “So, where was God?” I believe that He allowed me to wake and not linger, He knew my husband would be scraping snow off the van, He gave me the ability to sense when something is wrong, and He did not allow me to be alone in this circumstance. In fact, my daughter has a history of heart issues and one aspect is SVT (a rapid heart rate where the heart gets on a circuit and has a hard time coming out of the loop). I don’t drive and have two children that would have to be escorted by police to a hospital if they had to accompany me but every time Grace has had an SVT someone has been there. In this circumstance, my husband was home and able to help. I firmly believe as Hebrews 13:5 says, “I (God) will never leave or forsake you.”

Back to the events of the day, we were taken to the local county hospital by ambulance after the paramedics had discovered my daughter’s blood sugar was very low and they did whatever they needed to do prior to her transport. She was given some sugar but she still did not achieve consciousness. The staff members in the emergency room were on the ball and working diligently to prepare her for transport to the Pediatric Critical Care Unit in a city center about 45 minutes away. Their skills and abilities were put to the test and they rose to the challenge of caring for my daughter. They intubated her and made sure she was stable before sending us off to the P.C.C.U. where the staff there took over and used all of their problem-solving skills to come up with every course of action to treat her. Numerous drugs were administered, two CT scans were done, and they were able to secure an MRI for her, which is very difficult to do on a Sunday.

Where was God? I know He was giving me the peace that surpasses understanding that only comes from Him. A paramedic told me I was “doing so well” and I told him that a Higher Power, God, was sustaining me. I also believe God was there opening doors for my daughter to receive the tests that she needed. I believe that each of the staff members at the hospital were trained and equipped to deal with this case, as they do with others, because He knew that one day they would have a hand in caring for a child of the King of kings and Lord of lords. He was also there calling many into prayer on behalf of my daughter. Family members, friends, our church family, and those unknown to us were storming the gates of heaven for my daughter along with us. In the times when I was weary of praying, I asked God to call on those in the body that could pray more diligently than I could for my daughter. I pictured the story in Exodus 17 where the Israelites were in battle for their lives. As long as Aaron and Hur upheld Moses’ hands the Israelites had the victory, if his arms lowered, the Amalekites held the victory. I believe that as Grace lay in the hospital unconscious for days, with the cause unknown, there was a battle going on in the heavens for her life.

While in the hospital, there were talks of potential strokes, paralysis, neurological issues, and so on. These were hard words to hear and caused many mental images to arise and tears to fall. What would my daughter’s future hold? The week before this, she asked the Lord, and me “When am I going to get to go to Heaven?” The day before, the song, “All to Jesus, I Surrender,” played in my mind and was sung from my lips. The test was here. Would we surrender this child once again to the Lord? I was reminded of my brother in the faith, Abraham who was challenged to surrender Isaac to the Lord on a mountain in the region of Moriah. This is not the first time we’ve had to surrender Grace and her health to the Lord. We knew that if it were the Lord’s time, we would have to let her go. We were prepared to face the possibility of going home without her, knowing she would be in a better place. It was not our desire but we were ready to let go of our selfish desires knowing that if she were to suffer on this earth, it would be better for her to go Home.

Where was God? He was there. He was allowing us to show Him that we trusted Him not only with the small details in the hospital but in the big. And you know what? He surprised us! We never fully gave up hope of Grace’s well being but we had surrendered our will to His and as Grace finally regained consciousness on Tuesday, we were able to hear her cries of displeasure. It was a good sign. We had glimpses of her cognizance as she fought nurses during certain procedures but the first words uttered showed that she did not want to be where she was. She had an awareness of her situation. Over the next few days, her mood slowly changed and she, although weak, was starting to become more like herself. By Thursday, she was even able to find joy when she could go for some ice cream as well as to the playroom with her siblings. This was followed by the generosity of West Jet as they handed out toys to children. God not only saw fit to carry us through our own times of stress but He helped Grace to find ways to give thanks in all things for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for each of us (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

We are thankful that not only was God there for us along each step of our journey a few weeks ago but we are thankful for those of you who prayed for Grace. We are thankful that we could teach our preschooler to stand firm against the enemy in prayer for her sister and we are certainly delighted with the restoration of her health and look forward to seeing God use Grace for His Kingdom. Grace's light was not allowed to be snuffed out. God was certainly there and He continues to be here for our family and yours.

If I could leave you with the lyrics of a song written by Pam Thum that I have listened to Jane Valenta sing numerous times, they are:

LIFE IS HARD

You turn the key and close the door behind you

Drop your bags on the floor

You reach for the light, but there’s darkness deep inside

And you can’t take it anymore

‘Cause sometimes living takes the life out of you

And sometimes living is all you can do

CHORUS:

Life is hard; the world is cold

We’re barely young and then we’re old

But every falling tear is always understood

Life is hard, but God is good

You start to cry ‘cause you’ve been strong for so long

But that’s not how you feel

You try to pray, but there’s nothing left to say

So you just quietly kneel

And in the silence of all that you face

God will give you His mercy and grace

Jesus never said it was an easy road to travel

He only said that you would never be alone

So when your last thread of hope begins to come unraveled

Don’t give up; He’ll walk beside you on this journey home

And He knows

CHORUS:

Life is hard; the world is cold

We’re barely young and then we’re old

But every falling tear is always understood

Life is hard, but God is good

Yes, life is hard, but God is good.

Home and On the Mend

Thank you so much for your prayers. My daughter came home yesterday and she is on the mend. There is a residual cough, tiredness, and some weakness that she still has to overcome but it's a step in the right direction. We'll be following up with her doctors over the coming weeks and hopefully seeing her come around fully with her health. Thank you for being a blessing to us!

Thank you for Prayers.

There have been many issues ruled out due to testing for Grace. It is confirmed that she has pneumonia. She is currently off of the ventilator and breathing on her own. She is still sleepy as she was not very conscious since Sunday. We did get to see her responding to simple commands and to some questions around 4 pm and are hoping she will regain energy and be able to communicate with us tomorrow. Our hope is that she can rest well tonight and not be too out of sorts when she comes to and we're not there. Food will be reintroduced when she is ready and doctors are looking into causes of some seizures that she has had. So, we're more hopeful than we were yesterday and still waiting to see what happens. She might be able to move out of the critical care unit tomorrow, which is always a step in the right direction.

Thank you for your prayers.

Quiet . . . but in need of prayer

For those who follow me here at Maple Tree Academy, I've been quiet for a while as I've been making more time for our family. However, today, we admitted our oldest to a pediatric critical care unit. So, if any of you feel led to pray for her (her alias is "Grace" on the blog) please do. The Lord knows her real name and situation. Many thanks!!! Keep clinging to the Lord!

My Mission Field (A Devotional by Above Rubies)

I received this devotional in my e-mail and it really touched my heart. It couldn't have come at a better time! To be honest, I was in a state where I'd like to be on "vacation" rather than in the "mission field." I asked Nancy Campbell if I could share her devotional in its entirety in a post on my blog. I hope it blesses you as much as it blessed me.

********

MY MISSION FIELD

Matthew 9:37-38, "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest."

Do you sometimes hanker to be doing some great work for God? You feel as though you are wasting your life in your home. You would love to serve the Lord in some harvest field. Yes, it is true, the harvest is great and the laborers are few. But why are they few? Because mothers have not understood God's purpose.

Are you looking for an easy path in life in life or do you have a heart to serve God as a missionary? Dear mother, you are already a missionary. God has chosen your specific mission field for you. It is your home and family. You are employed by God to train laborers for His harvest field. You don't raise children and then send them to Bible College to prepare for service. You train them for God's service from the time they are little. They should be ready to labor in the harvest field when they come forth from your home.

Is a missionary's work easy? No, it takes sacrifice. Is motherhood easy? No, but it will be worthwhile. It takes everything you've got--all your resources of time, energy and strength--but you will influence nations. It takes sacrifice--many mothering days are exhausting and overwhelming--but you will receive the fruit of your labors and an eternal reward. It will take committed prayer and intercession, but your prayers will be answered. Remember, you are not on vacation; you are on the mission field!

Maybe God has only given you one laborer to prepare for Him--that His is plan for you. Maybe he has given you six, or even twelve! Wow, would twelve be too many? Jesus trained twelve disciples who impacted the world. How would you like to train laborers who "turn the world upside down"? (Acts 17:6)

What kind of laborers does God want us to faithfully prepare for His service? The following is my vision for our children, grandchildren and future generations. I believe He wants us to prepare children who are...

Baby lovers

Blessing imparters

Bible believers

Bible obeyers

Committed laborers in God's harvest

Courageous overcomers

Demon destroyers

Diligent workers

Evil haters

Faithful servers

Fearless soldiers

Freedom fighters

Fruit bearers

God fearers

God lovers

God pleasers

God worshippers

Gospel preachers

Holy Spirit empowered witnesses

Home lovers

Israel supporters

Jesus fanatics

Justice keepers

Life choosers

Light shiners

Liberal threateners

Obedient listeners

Parent honorers

Responsible citizens

Sharp arrows

Tomorrow's leaders

Truth bearers

Truth keepers

Truth lovers

Truth preservers

Truth seekers

Truth speakers

Persecution endurers

Prayer warriors

Righteousness lovers

Uncompromising disciples

Valiant conquerors

Wisdom getters and

Zealous servants of the Living God!

Wow! Can you imagine anything more exciting and fulfilling that raising laborers such as these? You couldn't have a greater mission field or a greater vision.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

"Thank you, Lord, for showing me my mission field. Help me to serve you faithfully and to raise prepared laborers for your great harvest field. Lord, I am open for you to give me all the laborers you have planned for me to train. Amen."

AFFIRMATION:

I am a full-time missionary, recruiting and training laborers for God's harvest field.

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Simple Woman's Daybook (because a teacher is living, learning, and growing too)

For Today ...

• October 10, 2009

Outside My Window...

• It is dark, cold, and the wind is blowing softly . . . at least it's not raining. :0)

I am thinking...

• that the Lord showed me how I can be like a three-year-old whose desire is to have her own way and also like the stiff-necked Israelites. This week, my Heavenly Father asked me to do something . . . something simple . . . something quick . . . something easy. I had a debate with him. I knew that He is my Father and I ought to obey HIM but I didn't want to. I wanted to shift the responsibility to someone else. I wanted out. I didn't want to do it with joy. I tried to give myself a pep talk and be joyful, to serve, but *I* *just* *wouldn't* *do* it.* My neck got stiff . . . can you say, "PLANK IN EYE?" I did the task He called me to do but not with joy but rather begrudgingly. Then, I sat on the couch with my two sweet girls and asked them to pray that their Mommy would be joyful and thankful (part of our focus this week). The oldest opened, the second followed, and I closed. Confessions, tears, bearing each other's burdens, being led beside still waters, and the restoration of souls. Our eyes opened, refreshed (mine anyway), sin removed, washed by blood, and then I was reminded of His Words, His Truth . . . softly corrected? Encouraged? Given a "kiss on the lips?" The Lord knew my morning would come, He knew my sinfulness would arise, He knew about our time of prayer, and He planned for His words to spill forth orchestrated by my children's curriculum. Fleshly human clings to Lord God Almighty . . . HE saves, HE heals, HE restores, HE is victorious once again! He teaches. He lifts up feeble hands and uses little ones to uphold their mother's right hand in battle and we rise once again to turn our eyes upon the Living Lord. (O victory in Jesus, my Saviour forever, He sought me and He bought me with His redeeming love . . . )
• it was sweet to see my daughter pay for some small pumpkins for making decorations for our Thanksgiving table. She thought it was a "great deal" and was so thrilled to pay for it all by herself!
• that my heart almost split in two when I heard my daughter say that she desires to see the moon, the stars, and airplanes clearly. (Oh, Lord God, nothing is too difficult for YOU!)
• it was interesting to hear the latch on the gate on the steps shut one night when Peace woke from his slumber. He was ensuring he was safe when we had left the gate open. I'm glad he was aware enough to do so.
• that I'm glad to have more "cuddle time" with Victory now. :0) I love her to bits! I love all my babies to bits!

I am thankful. . .

• when I hear my daughter proclaim on any given day, "This day was SO MUCH FUN!" I am also thankful that I felt the same when replaying the moments at a pumpkin patch, our treasure hunt, and time at a park that very day.
• for my almost SIX year old and her siblings!

From the Learning Rooms . . .

• We will be taking a break for a week and enjoying the beauty of God's fall leaves (and maybe snow? It's in the forecast, you know!) and a bountiful harvest meal at Mr. Man's parents. There will be feasting and fellowship! The table will even be decorated with items that the children made as they studied Thanksgiving, perhaps we will even speak of the things we are most thankful for this year. Time will tell. :0)

From the kitchen...

• There were party foods spread out across our kitchen counter and table today in recognition of Grace 's life! Her meal of choice? Hot dogs! Hamburgers were prepared for adults and served alongside a veggie tray, a selection of chips, and followed up by a cake of Grace's choosing. A meal fit for a . . . child! ;0)

I am creating ...

• collages to be printed up and put into binders for Grace's kindergarten year. I printed her first grade pictures already! :0) (I know, it took me a while! However, it's better late than never and Shape Collage saves me so much time! The process of making collages was taking me a while. So, I'm loving this program and will likely purchase an upgraded copy of it! My addiction to collages started during my school years. I just wish I had a photo of the mask collage I made with some classmates in grade ten . . . it was awesome! Our teacher kept it. I wish I took a picture of it first. Sigh. It was so cool and featured three books that we were comparing . . . A Street Car Named Desire and who knows what else. LOL! I remember Willie Lomax. Anyway, we even burnt the edge of the huge mask with my mom's help. It was neat! I'm sure that was more than you needed to know but I can reminisce here sometimes.)

I am going...

• to rest my head tonight in preparation for church tomorrow.

I am reading ...

• My Bible and a printed devotional that Mr. Man receives. (He uses the on-line version. I still like paper!)
• Voice of God by Cindy Jacobs.
• Hymns for Kids, Volume 1 by Joni Eareckson Tada and Bobbie Wolgemuth. I started reading it with Grace tonight. It might be easier to read through it bit by bit as Peace and Victory sleep.
• Quotes to share . . .

"This day was SO MUCH FUN!"

~ Miss Grace ~

~ ~

♥

I am hoping...

• to focus on the good of each day and let the challenging/tiring moments fade away from memory.

Around the house...

• pumpkins inside, pumpkins outside . . . one proclaims, "JESUS IS THE LIGHT!" Can you see it? Do you know it?

One of my Favourite Things ...

• WASHABLE MARKERS! Ah, my son! My son! The first to write on my wall . . . my carpet . . . do you really want to know what else he drew on? I would've snapped a picture, especially when he looked at me as though his work of art was fabulous but I don't care to encourage such artistic masterpieces at this time. LOL! Love him, I do!

A Few Plans For The Coming Week:

• Watching children enjoy new gifts from a birthday celebration.
• Laundry is likely going to be done in the next few days. I hope I manage to put away the three baskets of folded clothes way before I need to tackle laundry mountain once again.
• There will be feasting! There will be memory making and more! There may even be shivering if the snow decides to fall this week. Snow? In October? It has happened before. It even happened in May so anything is possible! At least I'm not in Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, or the Arctic circle! This snow . . . this winter . . . this location . . . I can handle it. :0) I just hope it isn't much and I doubt it will be but it's up to God now, isn't it?

A Picture Thought That I am Sharing:

Sweet Six . . . nope, not a teen yet!

She's as sweet and precious as she was on the day I first held her in my arms!

What a blessing and treasure from the LORD!

Another year passes like vapor . . . all too soon!

I am praying . . .

• for Grace to grow in wisdom, godliness, and favour with God and man. (Of course, I'm praying the same for my other two.)
• for my cousin's twin babies that were born at 27 weeks gestation this past week weighing in the neighbourhood of two pounds. Oh, the memories and feelings that flooded my mind as I viewed those tiny treasures on Smilebox. I pray also for my cousin and his wife for I know the questions that can shadow their thoughts and my familiarity with the road ahead. I hope that they too will look at their preemies when they are four and see that they are doing just fine.

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If you wish to join in with other participants of "The Simple Woman's Daybook" click on the picture at the top of the post.

*I have no time to put this through a word processor . . . sorry! It sounds like my son is waking.*

Our Timeline

This is our timeline. We have continued our timeline from grade one. We have previously posted it on a door but prior to the start of our year, I punched holes in the corner of each one (I may add reinforcements in the future) and put our kindergarten timeline onto a new piece of poster board in the same colours of our timeline (alternating blue and purple). I like the way we can take it out and stretch it out across the floor (even using it like a puzzle) and the way we can flip through it like a book. The metal ring was purchased at an office supply store and is so great! I like that I can stick it in an art portfolio when our timeline for this year is completed. :0)