Shine, Jesus, shine

I just wanted to let you know that yesterday morning, Jason fell about 11 feet off of a ladder and broke his back. After almost 7 hours in the ER and 4 trips to X-ray for CT scans and x-rays, we were told that he has a break in the lower back. This news was rather shocking because for hours we had been told that there was not a bone broken but then they changed their mind after another round of scans. The good news is that the break was clean and is unlike most other back breaks in that it does not require surgery or a brace. The doctor stated that Jason had the strongest bones that she had ever seen - the key here is DRINK MILK ALL THE TIME - and that his break will heal on its own in about 6 weeks. He is scraped and cut from the top of his head to his feet - literally. When he hit the ground, he said that he remembers not being able to breathe and apparently he passed out because when he woke-up his Mom's dog was standing over him with her tongue hanging out and her tail wagging. Jason said he's not sure if the ladder latch broke or came loose or what happened. When he fell, he apparently scraped down a tree and hit his head on large landscaping rocks. The bottom picture is just part of one of his bruises - he's bruised and cut and scraped from the top of his head to his ankles. He has all these weird lines running through the bruises that we're guessing are indentions of maybe the ladder, yard light that was busted, tree, or rocks that he landed on. I have never seen anything like this. I literally poured peroxide all over him last night in an attempt to clean the abrasions.

At this time, we are okay but definitely need your prayers. Jason can walk better than sit but he needs to rest. He is very swollen on his back and stiff. The ER physician stated that she works with Nissan a lot and that more than likely they will not put him on light duty but will force him to stay out the next 6 weeks at least. Jason is freaked out about this for a couple of reasons. Of course, with my business being so young, he is our main source of income and next, if he takes off on FMLA now then he may not be allowed to take any more FMLA time off later this summer or early fall to travel to Ethiopia to pick-up our baby. We'll have more answers next week when we actually talk to the plant personnel but regardless of what other people may say about Nissan, they have always treated Jason right when it came to leave (i.e. all the uncertainity of time off while we were in Ukraine). We are trusting that God will once again provide as He sees fit this time as well.

We have done a lot of praying about this situation, and for me, I feel peace in that I know that God is in ultimate control and that He will bring us through this time. Please pray that God can give Jason peace as well. He is a dedicated father and husband and he knows that this injury greatly limits his independence for a little while. At the hospital, the nurse stated due to the height that he fell and all that could have happened, he said that Jason is very lucky - I looked over and said, "No, he is very blessed." There is no doubt for any of us that God protected Jason yesterday!

I think God was preparing us (or at least me) for this. On Thursday, my daily devotion focused on when some basic need is lacking (time, energy, money, health), then consider yourself blessed as in our weakness, Christ's power is made perfect. It went on to say that awareness of our inadequacies is a rich blessing that trains us to rely wholeheartedly on Christ. The key verses were as follows:

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." James 1:2-3

"But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9.

On Thursday, God provided payment on 2 cases that I didn't think I would ever collect on - God was already providing for our needs that we didn't even know we were going to have within the next 24 hours.

Yesterday, my devotion focused on the fact that there is no randomness in our life and that we are on a path orchestrated by God. It stated that as we give ourselves more and more to a life of constant communication and reliance on God, then we will find that we simply have no time for worry which allows us freedom to let God direct our steps and enables us to walk along the path of peace. Was this not perfect for yesterday's trials? The verses were as follows:

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?" Luke 12: 25-26

"[T]o shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." Luke 1:79.

Please pray specifically that God will work in Jason's life in several ways - in healing him and giving him peace that everything is going to be okay. He needs to feel God's peace and that will come with prayer.

Please pray that God will continue to bring new clients into my business. It is amazing how much God has already worked and provided in just under 2 years. Going out on my own was absolute leap of faith but not one month have the bills gone unpaid - He always provides when we trust Him. We are still proceeding with the adoption and trusting God that he will continue to meet our needs there. If we've learned nothing in the last 6 months since Mom's death, Dad's aneurysm surgery and infections, and now Jason's broken back it is to trust God in all things as He will never leave us but always provides for us! Our heartaches and stresses are the main ways that God's grace in our lives can be seen and recognized by those who do not follow Him. Shine, Jesus, shine!

Jason will go see an ortho doctor this coming week. Personally, I'm praying that the bone is healed without explanation - after all my own healing of my heart is proof that God can do the unimaginable! Please pray that God will soften the hearts of those at Nissan so that they can be kind in their dealings with all the paperwork and that everything will go smoothly with his job.

Thank you again for all your prayers!