The Path

I went to take pictures of my kids up at the train tracks in town last week and just love the results. I borrowed my good friend Tonya's awesome Nikon D50 camera....and got majorly spoiled by it. I am so having a yard sale this week in the hopes of selling enough "junk" to be able to get one of these babies!

I have been wanting to do these pictures ever since Jesse was born, but I wanted to wait until he was walking. How ironic that he is sitting in the majority of them! The kids were awesome and in the 85 degree heat wore their jeans like champs....although they did start sweating towards the end. As I took these photos, I thought about what a blessing each of their lives have been and how God has done a major work in each of their lives. It seems that each child has overcome a physical ailment...only by God's healing power.

Charlie was hospitalized at the ripe young age of 30 days for running a fever. He was poked and prodded...spinal taps, iv antibiotics, and blood tests galore...he had so many holes in his tiny little body. His fever had raged to over 101 degrees and for a newborn that was too high. He laid in that big 'ole crib with wires and tubes hooked up to him...and there was nothing I could do but love him and pray for him. He stayed in the hospital for about 5 days as they tried to figure it all out...only to find nothing...and the fever subsided.

Addie was hospitalized twice before she was a month old. The first time was because of seizures that she was having...I wrote about that time here. The second time...a week later....was because of the same thing that Charlie had..a high fever. I think she may have caught something while we were in the hospital the week before, but I will never know. Same song...second verse. She too had more needles poked in her than I did the whole time I was pregnant. She stayed another 4 or 5 days and then was released....without them finding anything wrong with her.

Shelby Jean was born and guess what...I didn't take her anywhere for the first 31 days because I was determined that she wasn't going to end up in Scottish Rite with a fever:)! She was so healthy and strong and rarely in the doctor's office. Right before her second birthday she started having these dizzy episodes where she could hardly walk. It was so scary that it made her cry because she couldn't control her own body. She had about 3 or 4 of them before I took her to the ER. I had spoken with her pediatrician when she did it the first time and he told me to just watch her. Well, I did, I thought I was nuts....and then a friend saw her do it followed by Ric seeing it happen. The day of her 2nd birthday she went to the ER and had several tests run and then we followed up with the Neurologist. He decided to do an MRI to check her brain as closely as they could. I was convinced she had a brain tumor....from the first time I had seen her do it. You know how us moms can think the worst...but that was what I thought. It was just so strange. We spent the next month praying for Shelby and in December when they did her MRI, they found nothing!

Jesse was born and boy was he struggling. His respiratory rates were off the charts and he had to spend some time in the NICU to monitor them. His respiratory rates were in the 140's...and normally should be between like 30 and 60. His little chest was just pumping so fast. Over the next days his rates went down to the 80's and the doctors felt he was in a controlled state....and they never found anything wrong with him.

I told you all of those things because I finally get it. As I was looking at my sweet kids on those train tracks...I realized that God has continued to show up in not only my life, but the lives of my children. You see, too many times when things like this have happened...I chalk things up to medicine, the doctors, or me just being a hypochondriac and that there was never really anything wrong with them. After Shelby had her MRI and the scan came back clear, I said "whew, there really wasn't anything wrong with her." My aunt said "well praise the Lord, God chose to heal that sweet little girl". My heart broke because I failed to see the miracle in it all...and when I say all...I mean all of the above. I believe now that Shelby had a brain tumor...and God chose to heal her. I believe now that Charlie and Addie's fever were healed by God and God alone and not antibiotics. I believe God healed my little Addie from a seizure disorder. I believe God healed Jesse's lungs so that he could breathe normally. I believe that my God is still in the business of Miracles...if I would just open my eyes to see them.

As they walked down those tracks, I thought about the path that they would be taking in the days ahead. A path that I pray is filled with the blessings of God! A path that is filled with conviction and standards. A path that is filled with His love. A path that is straight and steady. A path that leads others to Christ. A path that His healing power continues to be present.

May they never have the blinders on their eyes that I have. May they see HIM in all things...because Great is HE! May they chalk ALL things up to His greatness!

Take a look at these pictures of my kids on the tracks....or path...and remember that HE is the one who directs our paths if we acknowledge HIM!

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.