The following status update sparked this Note:
“Amy and I joined hands to pray for a dear friend’s knees, and our oldest, who is 8, came running to agree with us. God healed his knee yesterday which had been hurting and causing him to limp for a few days. Today, he won first place in a school wide race! He says with a grin, ‘I know God will do it for her ’cause He did it for me.'”
In the last few months, as we have been drawn into deeper intimacy with God, our children have consistently prayed for one another to receive instant comfort from “owwies.”
They have each learned to expect God’s intervention.
Last week, Amy was developing a tension headache from the constant chatter of three little ones. She barely mentioned it, and our 4 year old immediately took her hand and laid down such a powerful, glory soaked prayer, that we were instantly broken in the presence of the Lord. Needless to say, her headache was gone.
His older brother and younger sister joined us as we cheered, clapping and giving thanks for God’s goodness.
No one in our family has been sick for over 6 months. We have, however, had a couple of freak accidents in which our 4 year old nearly drowned, our two year old nearly lost her finger, and our 8 year old was nearly bitten by a rattlesnake.
Notice the *NEARLY* in every one of these incidents.
Each of these was a carefully choreographed attack by the enemy against our children.
The first was the near drowning incident.
Everybody who witnessed the horror and wonder of that day was deeply impacted.
We were on a family hike along the shore of a local lake. Beautiful pines, blue sky, and sparkling green water. In many years of enjoying the outdoors, we have never allowed our kids to be ANYWHERE near water without PFD’s. This is the one exception. After repeated warnings to get back from the edge, our 4 year old fell into the water without a splash.
NOBODY was looking for that split second.
When I somehow heard a gurgle, he was already completely under water, his hands quickly sliding out of sight. Everybody who saw it, said that one second I was standing next to them, and the next I was lifting Gavin out of the water.
I remember a blurred sensation of flying and that is what everybody insists happens. He was a sickening grayish blue when I pulled him out, praying and willing him to BE OK…his color was instantly restored as he choked and coughed up water. Within just a few minutes he was playing happily…far from the water. When I searched the ground, still somewhat bemused, for evidence of what should have been a frenzied, tearing sprint across the red dirt of the lakeshore…I couldn’t find even ONE mark. NO EVIDENCE of anybody walking there, much less tearing across the ground to save a drowning child.
As an avid outdoorsman, I am familiar with tracking game.
Our 8 year old was the first to say it, “Dad, I think an angel THREW you to Gavin, so you could help him before he drowned. You were faster than any superhero I’ve EVER seen in the movies!”
This is getting long, so I won’t go into the other two incidents, but I do want to say this next bit, lest any reading this assume we are some unrealistically perfect little family who have never known real trouble.
We are a family who has been rescued from the very brink of destruction. Less than a year ago, we were on the brink of divorce after stumbling through the nightmare of losing our stores, business, vehicles…and we are still going though the resulting Bankruptcy. An unexpected and completely out of control addiction to alcohol, painkillers and pornography, raged through my life with a destructive force that affected every one of us.
Our young family was quickly coming unraveled and there was no hope in sight.
Then the King of Glory Himself, stepped in and delivered us from an enemy who had utterly outsmarted, deceived and defeated us. God restored our marriage first, leading us into a place of loving intimacy, friendship, and mutual respect we have never experienced in our entire lives. This October marks 14 years of the miraculous thing called Rick and Amy’s Marriage. Our family has been led into a wide open place of exhilarating freedom and boundless joy; each day seems like a dream to me, and the last 17 years of my life, are as a nightmare quickly fading in the Light of the Throne Room of our King.
When we pray for those of you who send emails detailing the terrible things you are facing, we are not praying as those who don’t know.
WE LOVE YOU AND WE KNOW IF GOD DID IT FOR US, HE WILL DO IT FOR YOU!!! JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH IS LORD OVER ALL AND WORTHY TO BE WORSHIPED, LOVED AND ADORED WITH OUR WHOLE LIVES FOREVER AND EVER…
“It was your right hand and strong arm and the blinding light from Your face that helped them, for You loved them.”
~Psalm 44:3~
P.S. Here’s the message I received this morning from our friend who had knee problems yesterday…
“Glory 2 God amen Thanks yall for praying ur such a blessing I went 2 bed early and didnt feel nothing pain is gone praise God woke up this morning pain free Praise God, that pain went straight to Hell …….God is Great Powerful Amen Have a Great Bless day Amy and Rick and ur Family. Amen.” ~Nina C.~