God's Hands

I've had a hard "blog" week.

I started out the week on Sunday pretty sick, not sure if I had a 24 hour thing or food poisoning, but whatever I had was nasty.  And I missed an afternoon with my in-laws that were in town for the weekend.  I was sleeping at home as the family all went to church and then out to lunch together, that always makes a person feel like they've missed something.  So my week started with me feeling yucky and kinda down.

Monday morning had me still getting back on my feet, feeling way better but not 100% yet and then BAM we get a phone call that no one ever expects, that you can't prepare your heart for...

My father-in-law, Pat, called to tell us that Kathy, my mother-in-law, was in a horrible car accident.
Here is the facebook note that Pat wrote that describes the accident...
This is Pat. Kathy wanted me to thank all of you who are praying for her. For those of you who don't know what happened, she was the third car stopped on Highway 29 and Bottle Rock, waiting for a large truck to turn left on Bottle Rock. She saw the '94 Ford pick-up in her rear view mirror and knew it was not going to stop. She tapped her brake lights to get his attention but he only left about 10 feet of skid marks before he hit her doing 55 to 60 mph. Right before impact she said, "Jesus, Jesus, help me." The first lady, whom we do not know, came to her and said, "Jesus sent me here to help you." She called me at school and let me talk to Kathy on the phone. She also got someone to brake the window because the gas fumes were terrible and she also prayed for Kathy. We are so thankful for this. The chain reaction involved 5 cars. She was the only one taken away in the ambulance. At the hospital they checked her out for broken bones and internal injuries, found nothing, shot her up with morphine so she could get in the wheel chair and sent her home. The chest trauma from the seat-belt/air bag, has her pretty much immobilized. Her neck is not able to support her head when she is trying to get up or lie down. New little aches and pains are showing up. We have a doctors appointment today and will know more latter. Today is the third day and everyone says the third day is the worst, so hopefully things will start looking up. Thank you again for your prayers and well wishes. Pat


My in-laws live about 2 1/2 hours south of us, and although it's not far, when you get this phone call it feels like it's across the country.
The first phone call from Pat was letting us know of the accident, but really not sure what sort of injuries, if any, that Kathy might be suffering from.  
The phone calls between Beau and his dad went back and forth all day keeping us informed, 
and each one seeming more and more like a miracle...
"no broken back or neck, but her ribs and sternum  are probably broken, not sure of any internal damages..."
"no broken ribs or sternum..."
"no internal damages..."
"they're sending her home..."
God is truly amazing.  
He covered Kathy in his protection and allowed her to walk out of the hospital hours after the accident without any major damage.
She is still in lots of pain, and has a long road of recovery ahead of her, but we are praising God for his many miracles
*She is alive
*Her back and neck are not broken
*NO other bones are broken
*No internal damage
*No one else was injured in the accident (5 cars total)
*That he sent someone to pray for and comfort her in while waiting for help to arrive...God has angels here on earth!
*Modern medicine to help relieve her pain
*Insurance-medical and auto

Other things that God "arranged"...
*Pat and Kathy had two weekends in the past month that they were able to get their "grandkid fix"...All 3 of their grandkids live at least 2 hours away, and they were able to spend two different weekends this past month with the two different "sets" of Chambers grandkids...
*A job that allows Pat to take time off to care for Kathy...
*A church family that will take care of both Kathy & Pat since their extended family is too far away to help (so hard for me, I want to drive down and make meals and wash laundry and clean toilets, and hold hands)...

God is amazing...

here are just some Bible verses that he was given to me this week and some photos of Kathy, you can see God's love shining from her face, she is truly an amazing gift in my life that I praise God for!

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Psalms 139:14

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11 (my husbands favorite verse)

"You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.

Isaiah 43:10

Let them know that it is your hand, that you, O Lord, have done it.

Psalms 109:27

This is why my blog week was a little off...
I felt like going on with my "normal" posting of recipes and the "fun" crafty something-or-other that I made was very trivial.  I know that God rejoices with us in all we do, but my heart was not here.
I never got around to making our bi-weekly menu and therefore I never went grocery shopping (been doing a little fridge/pantry cleaning to make it through the week).
I didn't post any recipes this week.
I really didn't make anything crafty or fun.
I spent a good part of my week just focused on my family and in a fog of trying to get motivated.

I also spent lots and lots of time just praying for Kathy.  She has been such a blessing to my life and the life of my children.  I listen to others talk about their mother-in-law with a sneer, or with a grimace, or just snickering of disrespect.  And I feel so overwhelmed with the blessing I have in Kathy.  I have never called her 'mom' because she's not my mother (I have a pretty great mom too)...I feel that she does deserve the title mom, she raised two amazing sons that love and respect her deeply...but I feel that I have a different relationship with her.  She's the mother to my husband, the grandmother to my children, an amazing Christian mentor, a Godly example of what a wife should be, and she's a friend.

I thank God for the gift of her in my life and in the life of my husband & children.  I thank God for his protection over her this past week.  I thank God for the big and little miracles that he has allowed us to see him do this past week.  And I thank God for the continued healing of Kathy's body throughout the next few weeks and months.