I have a story that I wanted to share with you today. I had wanted to share this little story this past December on Hope's 7th Celebration of Life Day . . . but I didn't make that happen. However, I remembered it this week, and to be honest, I think Easter is the perfect time to share it!
First of all, some of you might ask what is Hope's Celebration of Life Day? This is what our family nicknamed the anniversary of Hope's brain injury. This past December 14th, 2019 marked 8 years since the day of her brain injury, and we have chosen to use that potentially dark day of memories to celebrate God's faithfulness . . . we almost lost Hope that day, but He graciously granted her life, a different life, but the the life that He always had planned for her out of His love and ability to work all things "for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son." Romans 8:28-29
It was the morning of Hope's 7th Celebration of Life Day. We were away with family for the weekend. I went into the room where Hope was sleeping to help her take her morning medications and to wish her a "Happy Celebration of Life Day!" We had special plans for the day. I had made some rootbeer cupcakes to celebrate her special day as well as her auntie's upcoming birthday . . . a birthday her sweet auntie had spent in the Stollery Hospital in Edmonton while Hope was there being kept alive on ECMO, a heart and lung bypass machine. Her daddy had planned a special horse sleigh ride with the whole family, that would take us to a cabin in the woods for apple cider and cookies, and then back again. Hope loves horses, both before and after her brain injury. In general, she loves animals, but she will happily tell you that horses are her favorite farm animal by far! As I kissed her sweet forehead and said the words, "Happy Celebration of Life Day, Hopey," she thanked me with a huge grin, the kind of grin that melts your heart and causes you to wonder at the bond of deep love that God gives you for your little ones (even little ones that aren't so little anymore!) and how that is just a mere speck of the perfect, sacrificial, and unconditional love of God for His children. I asked her what she was doing, and she told me that she had been laying there thinking. Hope loves to have quiet "thinking time," as she calls it, often spent creating elaborate story lines and developing interesting characters for her stories . . . but sometimes to just reflect, and today, she was reflecting and talking to her Saviour. When I asked her what she was thinking about, she spoke these sweet words . . .
"Mom, I was just thinking about how this is my Celebration of Life Day, and I was thanking the Lord for keeping me alive on this day, 8 years ago. But, most of all, mom, I was thanking the Lord for making me alive in Him!"
. . . words that still echo in my heart . . . words that are why her dad and I call the greatest miracle of healing in Hope's life, the miracle that restored her ability to know and love her Creator and her Saviour! Hope knows that she is a sinner in need of a Saviour, and she has put her trust fully in the gospel of Jesus Christ. She believes in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and in His loving sacrifice being the only way for those who believe and put their trust in Him alone, to be reconciled to God and to have forgiveness of sins, the righteousness of Jesus placed on us resulting in our redemption and being called children of God. She has placed her hope firmly in the eternal future that she will receive some day with Jesus in glory . . . the future that she hopes in so assuredly that she does not care if her eyes ever see again in this life because she adamantly professes that "I would love for the first thing I see again to be the face of Jesus!"
I pray this story and the testimony of God working in Hope's heart will encourage you this Easter to worship and adore the One who is worthy of all praise and honour and glory, Jesus Christ . . . the only One who is able to make you truly ALIVE! If you don't have this hope, I pray that you will read the Bible and talk to someone who can share the awesome news of the gospel of Jesus Christ with you. We would love to share how you can find hope through Jesus, how He alone can help you solve your sin problem and make you alive in Christ, and how you can have true peace in the midst of all the craziness in this broken world, even in the midst of a global pandemic!
We always end our blog posts with, "you are loved," because we truly love each and every one of you . . . even those we've never met! God has so blessed and encouraged our family through the continued support, love, concern, and prayers of so many people, even 8 years later and still going! So, we want to remind you that you are loved, because we love you! Yet so much more important, we want to remind you that you are loved, because Jesus died and rose again so that He could make you truly alive in Him! We pray that you have placed your belief and trust fully in Jesus Christ alone!!! He is risen! He is risen indeed!!!
You are so loved, dear ones!!!
P.S. I will include a few photos from Hope's 7th Celebration of Life Day. The snow pics may not seem to fit Easter for many of you . . . however, if you could see into our backyard, the snow would fit perfectly! Yes, it snowed for the third day in a row here today, and we have about 2-3 foot snow drifts in our back yard. We, Canucks, are a hardy bunch indeed, or gluttons for punishment as my hubby says! Hee hee!
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| A sleigh ride pulled by beautiful horses wearing Christmas sleigh bells and bows! |
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| The Peacock flock bundled and staying nice and cozy warm under blankets. We had one excited Hopey Girl!!! |
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| Hope at the cabin in the woods, warming up with some hot apple cider! |
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| Celebrating with dear family along with games and rootbeer cupcakes makes for a sweet ending to Hope's 7th Celebration of Life Day!!! GOD IS GOOD!!! |
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