The Lizzy Miracle

In reflecting over this past year…it sure has been what we call here in the south “ a doozy”! I certainly don’t wish to repeat one like it, but I must say that God, once again, has shown Himself faithful. We all are in a much better place this Thanksgiving than last year hands down. You know, in James 1:2 it says, “Consider it all joy ,my brethren, when you encounter various trials.” Now for years in my early walk with the Lord, that one made me scratch my head! Surely the joy in the Bible didn’t mean J-O-Y . You know…joy , joy! Well, I am afraid it most certainly does. It took a little while to realize joy and happiness were totally opposite. Happiness, of course , depends on circumstances while joy is from deep within. True joy must come from God. And nothing at all can steal that joy!!! The enemy certainly will try. I tell you…this year was tough. I have had my heart broken by watching my family endure one of the hardest things ever. Nothing breaks a mother’s heart like watching one of her babies hurt and not being able to do one thing about it. On top of that, my family had to face the fallout from that painful situation. Words getting twisted, and those twisted words believed by others- Loss of close friendships that were rooted deep inside our hearts- not being able to mend broken relationships and having to heal without reconciliation. These things literally shattered me! Nothing has ever broken my heart just like it. And knowing that I hurt others, even though not on purpose, but just the same, I hurt others as well. My heart aches just remembering…however, God is Jehovah Rapha….God who heals! And healing is exactly what He’s been doing! Every single member of our little family is in a better place than we were last year. Our lives are in God’s hands and He is in control and there is so much to be thankful for! I would start naming a few but could never stop so just know I am overwhelmingly thankful for every blessing that God has given me. I have love, so much love, in my heart for those also I never got to bridge that awful gap with also. In my heart, I pray God has truly let them know that in their hearts also.(I KNOW He has been working and blessing them as well- which is one of the things I too am thankful for) Back to this “consider it all joy” business. Well, I told my Hank just this morning I could honestly say I really am thankful this is all over and thankful that ,even though Satan taunted and taunted me and my heart was hardened for a while, my joy remained. See, this was not my first rodeo with Satan trying to steal my joy. No…that scoundrel has been after me since 1986(that’s when I gave my life to Jesus) and bet He’ll try me till I see Jesus face to face!! (But…WE WIN) I know he came to “steal, kill, and destroy” but my God says.. “I’ll never leave you or forsake you” . I know this isn’t so but I like to think God put the verse, “Lo, I am with you always..” in the Bible just for me. It’s true…He’s always , always with us. I will never forget the first time I really began to understand all this. It was actually 16 years ago today. November 20,1994. It was a Sunday morning and I was 3 months pregnant. I woke up in labor and was rushed to the Tupelo hospital where we lost our little baby. I WAS A MESS!!! That day , God took the “D” in disappointment and changed the D to and “H” and made ‘Dis appointment’ –‘His appointment’ because that day changed the course of the rest of my life. I will not , at this time, go into all the ways this took place but it started with taking God at His word!!!(as Beth Moore says, “I’m believing God”) Then choosing to walk in it out in obedience—and He did the rest. It took time…but oh…DID IT WORK!! That is also exactly why we have been married for 25 years and it was cause to celebrate and take that cruise! Did God want or cause me to lose our baby…why of course not!!! However, he sure used it to His glory. It’s all about choosing God in every situation. Have I always chosen God’s way?? Let’s say one way or the other, He knows how to get my attention. He’s allowed me to take the long way many times only to show up exhausted and repentant. Think that’s just what He had in mind. Humbled and bowed at His feet. (best place you’ll ever be) Let me go back to November 1994 for a bit. God sent a friend into my life a few years earlier named Chrissy . I know now that God sends forever friends and seasonal friends into our lives.I really thought she was a forever friend but now there’s no doubt … she was a very special seasonal friend. Now, we’d been friends for a couple of years and had dealt with a lot of life together. We were thrilled to be pregnant at the same time. She was further along and her baby(“boy”) was due in December. As hard as it must have been for her mama to call me on the evening of November 21, 1994 to tell me Chrissy had gone into pre- mature labor, it was as if God had it planned all along. I was in a fog and my heart was depleted. I had cried until I had no more tears and had been in bed all day. It was about 8 PM when she called to tell me that Chrissy had gone into labor that morning a month early and it was not a boy…IT WAS A GIRL!!! She and her husband named her Lori Elizabeth. They call her Lizzy. Tears… many tears….flowed straight from my heart. I could just feel God there in the kitchen chair with me as He hugged my soul with those words of her birth. I have a love for that little girl.(Not so little anymore…she’ll be 16 tomorrow) Although I haven’t seen her in years, she(AND her dear mama) will forever remain in my heart. God used that little baby and her family to help begin to heal a very broken heart! I am so glad I didn’t allow Satan to steal my joy at that time of suffering. I may have missed the blessing of Lizzie!! I could have been upset that she was allowed to be born and my baby wasn’t but I didn’t choose that option… and PRAISE GOD, I didn’t miss it! I was counting it all joy even though I did not ‘feel’ like it. Those emotions sure are unpredictable!! Mine sure change like the wind.(POOR HANK) But My God is “Faithful and True”!!! AMEN AND AMEN Have you noticed God loving on you? I’ll bet if you stop right now, you can think back of times He’s loved you through a situation. If not, maybe you weren’t looking. Don’t miss your “ Lizzy miracle”!! If God did that for me…He’ll show you His love as well. Don’t miss it!!! Keep your heart eyes open because He loves to lavish His love on His babies! Open your arms wide so He can just snuggle you right next to Him so close you can feel His heart beat. Listen…hear it? Let’s truly give Him our thanks and praise this Thanksgiving…and maybe we can make everyday be a day of giving thanks in our hearts! Happy Thanksgiving friends! God bless each of you! And I am praying a special blessing for you Miss Lizzy! Hope you have a wonderful 16th birthday!!

LO