Encouragement
Do you have a but God story?
Every now and again, it's refreshing to know that we are not the only one going through a season of struggle. When we read about the goodness of God through the lens of someone who has a story similar to our own, we can be encouraged. That is what this page is. A page of encouragement.
Looking at the book of Genesis, we learn about Joseph and his betrayal by his brothers. When Joseph
finally had the opportunity to address them, he chose grace. He chose God's perspective and used his pain
for the benefit of others. Check out Genesis 50:20 with me:
"Joseph said to them, 'Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God?
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish
what is now being done, saving the lives of many.' "
Makes me wonder...
Can you look back on your life and see God's hand of protection on you?
If so, please let me know. I can not resist a good testimony of our good and faithful God.
I'm Kappy. This is God,
saving my son.
January in Michigan is exactly as you would imagine it to be. Cold, darker days and blowing snow. It was 2011 and I remember that night like it was yesterday. I had left my cell phone in the kitchen charging and headed up to bed. I didn't think much of it since we still had a landline, I kinda figured that if someone really needed me, they'd call the home number. Well, that's exactly what had happened. at 4:45 am in the night our home line rang and it was my former husband calling me and the first words out of his mouth were "How many missed calls are on your cell phone? I don't understand what's happening and need you to call them back right away!" At that moment, all I knew was that my son and his band were on tour and there was an emergency with our 20-year-old son.
I ran downstairs and saw that I had 12 missed calls from a Nebraska phone number. I frantically dialed the phone and the physician I reached told me that my son was brought into the ER unconscious with a 106.7-degree fever. You read that correctly - 106.7-degree fever. After several attempts to bring his fever down while running many tests it was confirmed that my son had bacterial meningitis and was fighting for his life some 893 miles away. The doctor asked me "How soon can you get here? You need to know though, that the airport and many local roads are all closed due to snow." But God...
The strangest calm came over me and I will truly tell you that the peace felt like an out of body experience. God was with me and was very much with my son. He gave my son the most stellar medical staff. God guided me on the very long journey to Nebraska during a snow storm. A journey that was 19 hours long in horrible conditions. The ICU staff provided me updates my entire way there, while they kept asking "When will you be here? He is very critical." God kept me calm and we arrived safely. More importantly, He kept Joshua alive while his labs continued to get worse by the hour. But God...
The team of physicians we met with gave us grim news, telling us that if Joshua survived this, he would have several deficits caused by the raging infection in his brain. The very moment they told us this report, peace like nothing I can describe washed over me like a warm blanket. I knew without a shadow of a doubt, that God was going to save my son and we were watching a miracle. I had never felt the presence of Jesus that close in my life. He never left my side. Many around me thought my behavior was the result of intense shock. But God...
Within a few days, Joshua was able to breathe on his own and the doctors were astounded by what was happening day-to-day. One doctor wanted to show me the CT scan of Joshua's brain, so I could see the defect that Josh should have because of meningitis. I will never forget the look on the doctor's face. He had run this test a couple of times on Joshua to monitor his brain. But you see, God was working between scans. The doctor was ready to show me many areas affected by the infection. When he held up the latest scan, he was scrutinizing it and said "What a minute. I know what I saw here. I've been practicing neurology for years and I KNOW what I saw. This has never happened before, but.. it's... not...here...now. I don't know what's happened!" But God knew...
Another specialist on his team told me, "There is absolutely no medical reason we can find for your son recovering from this and leaving this hospital this healthy. This is simply unexplainable. you know, I've never really believed in God or anything, but maybe there is a God after all."
But God you see had different plans for my son. Joshua completely recovered from the damage caused by bacterial meningitis. Joshua continues to use his God-given gifts as a writer and musician, and we continue to give thanks to our Healer - the God of the possible.
I'm Shannon. This is my story.
Infertility and Adoption
Neither my husband nor I have any type of diagnosis as to why we aren't able to have children biologically.
We saw a fertility doctor for a bit here and there but we couldn't commit to the cost, or process. Life would get busy with work and we really did enjoy being DINKS (duel income no kids). So life went on year after year. Some days were extremely hard and would throw me into a tailspin, like baby showers or Mothers Day. I would ask God a lot of questions and tell him it wasn't fair, but even on those tough days I could still feel his presence. In 2013 after being married for 14 years I was at my wits end with questioning God. If he is the one that put the desires in my heart why wasn't he giving us a child?
I often laugh at how God speaks to us and how he uses those around us to get our attention. You see, I am married to a runner, and while he would go out on runs I would enjoy a nice nap. So when God told me to run a marathon I laughed and said "yeah right." But of course that nudge did not go away and I signed up to run. God knew that I needed to have some focused, uninterrupted, intentional time with him because I wasn't doing it on my own. It was on these training runs, some up to 5 hours, that I would pray and listen to God.
Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God". It reminded me that I'm not alone and that I was racing with other people in the same situation. Nowhere in the Bible is God not present, so if that's the case he was running right beside me in both races I was facing. He was teaching me to find my hope in him, not in my dreams.
Along this journey I have interacted with a lot of couples that have gone through the marathon of infertility and have crossed the finish line. My mistake along my journey for a family is that I would hear other people's outcomes and wanted that to be mine too. I wanted God to give me what he had already given someone else. What I didn't realize was that he was writing our own special story the whole time. A story that would show his faithfulness. We too, have crossed the finish line as God blessed us with a son through a private adoption and a son and daughter through the foster care system.
What I think is so amazing about God is that if you trust him, truly trust him he will do the unfathomable. All the years I spent praying for a family I never imagined this..... but God did. He knew back then that infertility was what kept me constantly talking to him, crying out to him. Now my prayers are of constant gratitude. I look at my kids every day and am constantly praying thanks to God for his faithfulness. I’m still crying out to him but now they are unbelievable tears of joy and awe. Like right now I’m crying as I write this because I still can’t wrap my mind around how amazing God is.