I was looking through my old emails and came across this entry on February 15, 2011, only a month and a half after his seizure episodes and some of you have already read it, but it's just too good not to share. I want to always remember how God is using my little boy's life in BIG ways:
We know all things happen for a reason... but sometimes, like with my little boy, I wonder what in the heck could that reason be? Especially this last episode over Christmas with the seizures, just awful...I try not to, but can't help but wonder...why would that experience for Benjamin be necessary?
It's going on several months now and Benjamin is pretty back to normal, with a few new scars from IV's and pokes and a darn-awful gag reflux that the feeding therapist says is from having a breathing tube stuck down his throat one too many times. But we are thankful that things are pretty back to normal...well, our "normal" anyways. :)
So my mom told me she had a story to tell me the other day that involved work... For those of you that don't know, she works at a bank. A regular customer came in and wanted to withdraw several hundred dollars. My mom said she would need to see I.D. for such a large withdraw. He didn't have it on him and went on to explain that his 3 yr. old son was in the hospital with seizures. Of course, Gammy's (my mom) heart dropped. She told him how sorry she was and that her grandson had just been through the same thing. He asked how old Benjamin was...almost three... (both his son and Benjamin are both about 3). My mom told the man since he was a regular customer they would go ahead and let him withdraw but on a regular basis they would need I.D. The man was very grateful and headed on his way.
Four hours later, the man returns, this time with his wife. They walk up to my mom's window and the wife says they need to change their account so the husband can't take money out. What???? My mom of course asks how their son is doing. The man replies, "my son is fine...I'm going into rehab." The man stepped away from the counter for a minute and the wife looked at my mom and said, "he is just sick that he lied to you...about his son, and that your grandson is actually going through this. He's going to get help".
The man had come in and much to his wife's devastation, taken out their tax return to feed whatever his addiction was. And for some reason decided to go through my mom's line and tell some story about how his son was in the hospital with seizures... how ironic??? how about more like a divine appointment :) And for him to come back to the same bank again, and tell the truth...pretty amazing.
Now we don't always get to know why God allows things to happen in our lives, and to our children, but I sure hope that some 3 yr. old little boy somewhere is going to have a clean daddy in 6 months and that their family cycle will be different... all because he went through my mom's line at the bank and told some crazy lie which happened to be our reality. If you'll take a minute and say a prayer for that man and his recovery and his wife and little boy, I bet we could get some major prayers going up for them...as Ben and I know well...we have quite the prayer army behind us!
I just love this story! And I cling to it knowing that God always, always, always, always has a bigger plan! If you haven't heard this song yet... it's totally worth a listen. I think we've all felt this at one time or another: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-METBrlP3xU
"Let me see redemption win
Let me know the struggle ends
That you can mend a heart that's frail and torn
I'm worn... so Heaven come and flood my eyes"
No matter what we're going through... depression, diseases, marriage problems, deep sorrow, bad work place, addictions, financial struggles... Redemption can and will win! I believe it!
So God, flood our eyes with HOPE and HEAVEN.
And thank you, thank you, thank you for this dear boy of mine... he's forever changing my heart and he's stirring up this world... like a boss!!! :)
