Memorial Box Monday – Our Elijah

It’s Monday again – and what a wonderful week-end it was for us. We had precious old friends arrive – 3 families…all from my youth group days many, many years ago. And what a blast we had! Is there anything better than laughing with treasured friends? Not much in my estimation.

I can’t help but wonder, how many of you are doing a Memorial Box or are thinking of doing one or are jotting down reminders of what God has done for the time when you finally have a Memorial Box?

Not joking sweet friends. This week {Wednesday} I go for the biopsy. {Doctor rescheduled for during our vacation but we had to decline and so they put it till the 28th. They said that if it is malignant it is a slow growing cancer so it was okay to put it off. Not really sure that was really all that comforting.}

As Wednesday is approaching I am actually dreading how painful it’s supposed to be and wondering what the results will be. But when I start to really think about it, the Lord keeps saying, “Remember what I have done. I have not left you. Not ever. Remember what’s in your Memorial Box. Even though life has had unexpected turns, I have been faithful. I remain faithful.”

That is precisely why we must have a Memorial Box in one form or another. We are a forgetful people – come on, admit it with me, can you even remember what you had to eat on Saturday?

So this weeks Memorial Box story is fresh. It just happened 8 days ago, while we were vacationing in Phoenix at the Squaw Peak Resort. And I’m not sure what we will put in the Memorial Box. But anyway, here’s what happened:

The last full day we were there we were kind of wore out from all the crowds the week-end had brought to the big pools. We decided to swim in one of the little “backyard” pools situated between the condos around the property. It was perfect. We were the only ones in the pool. We went and got some watermelon and chips and salsa and brought it to the table at the poolside. We all ate and talked and had lots of fun. After eating the kids donned their life jackets and went back in.

Before long, Emma, Liberty and I were in the pool tossing a water football back and forth between us. Of course the four little ones were playing in the 3 ft end right behind my back. As I said, this was just a little backyard kind of pool.

Emma was having trouble seeing, because the sun kept glaring in her eyes as she was playing catch, so I said, “Here Emmy, switch with me, I have sunglasses so I can stand where you are.”

At that point, I went to move toward where she was in the pool. Only as I moved toward her {and really it happened so fast} I somehow didn’t move toward her….instead I moved backward. I am convinced it was the Angel of the Lord moving me back, because my intent was to move clearly in the opposite direction 15 feet.

And if you asked me what I was doing directionally, I would have said, “I am moving to the west side of the pool from this south position.” But instead I completely moved more south and somehow turned around {again, now convinced it was an angel directing me}…..

Because as I moved further backward {south} my head turned to the right {east} and I saw something well submersed under water. I had no idea what it was. It was quite large {obviously not a penny on the bottom}…I know my expression must have been perplexed in that instant, because what in the world was so far underwater…{you know how it is, God made moms with the amazing ability to be pretty cognizant of whose usually where and what they are doing….so for that instant my brain was reeling…knowing that all were “accounted” for so what could possibly be so large and so deep under the water? And as that thought flashed through my head I glanced and saw a life jacket strewn on the edge of the pool, in front of the steps.

It all happened in a matter of seconds, but I screamed, “Oh my gosh!” and dove down under water and grabbed our precious baby boy!

As it turns out Elizabeth had taken his life jacket off. Not sure what her reasoning was and wouldn’t have guessed she could have worked all the safety snaps without us noticing, but she had!

Miracle of miracles, he was completely fine and hadn’t even taken a breath yet, so there was no choking on the water or anything! {Thank you Jesus!} But we’re guessing that after she took the jacket off, he had played on the stairs for a bit and then ventured out into the water and when he couldn’t reach bottom {as soon as he left the stairs} he held us breath as he hit the water {which he had just learned to do days before}….

But if the Lord had not moved me backwards in the pool and Emmy and I were to have just changed positions, we would not have noticed for who knows how long. I cannot even think about what the outcome could have or would have been. God in His mercy and grace directed my steps that day. He is our Miracle-working, Mountain-moving, Awe-inspiring, Gasp-giving God and how we praise HIM.

Simple story, but we need to remember it. Just a few feet and a few minutes and the outcome would have been completely different. Faithful God. Protecting our little ones. Moving moms and dads to see what needs to be seen.

So what about you? How has God protected you or your loved ones? What has He done that you MUST remember? What are you facing that you need to be reminded of how He has been faithful and will continue to be?

Please post a story or comment!

Tell us what God has done.

I know that a bloggy friend, Rachel, shared a story awhile back about preparing to head to China to meet their sweet baby girl and being nervous about international travel…and how the Lord provided a complete stranger who was a seasoned traveler who “met” up with them as they began their journey and then accompanied them on the trip over to China. It ministered to my soul. I have thought of how God did that for her many times since reading it and each time I remember her story, I am reminded of His provision.

Another bloggy friend, Verlyn, posted a Memorial Box Monday story a few months ago of how God protected her in a very frightening situation. I have thought of that story often as well.

There are plenty of others that stand out and I would love to highlight one or two with each Memorial Box Monday post, cause really, I love reading them!

So the stories you post will encourage me and others. They will trigger memories for others. They will buoy someone up who needs strength. Please do share.

To link: Please post the permalink from your blog below. A permalink is the URL to a specific blog post. In other words, each blog post has an address and the permalink is the street number and the avenue. For example, my blog address is: http://aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com/


But the permalink to this post is:

http://aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com/2010/07/memorial-box-monday-our-elijah.html

Please link back here and that you are part of Memorial Box Monday, and if you post the picture from the sidebar I will do a happy dance in my kitchen. {Not pretty, but very fun to do with the kids.}

If you are not sure what a Memorial Box is, it is explained fully here.

25 thoughts on “Memorial Box Monday – Our Elijah

  1. I had already made my MBM post but I'll definitely be thinking of your post and trying to remember times when God has ordained our steps in order to help us SEE. Praise God that He ordained your steps!! Praise God that you know it was no mere coincidence but a gift from your sweet Heavenly Father!

    Thank you, as always, for helping to remind us how much we need to stop and remember. In that vein, I wanted to share that my husband is getting as much out of my MBM posts as anyone! He says he had already forgotten a lot of the details I am remembering. That's a praise!!

  2. Yep… that has happened to us… not in a pool but avoiding a very very serious car accident with a semi… I'll write about it next week. Nothing makes you say, "Thank you Jesus!!!" like moments like that! Only by the grace of God go I…

  3. I have no blog to link to so I am hijacking my son's again, but I have a similar story. When Max was 2 or 3 months old and Carter had just turned 2, I was folding a load of laundry when I felt the urge to check on the baby. I didn't want to because I was nearly done with the laundry, just a few more minutes, and no one was fussing or anything. But it was quite the nudging, so I went around the corner where I had laid Max on a blanket on the floor. He was blue! I had just been reading about infant first aid so I knew what to do. It took several pounds on the back before he finally vomited up some black bile and 2 pennies. Carter had been innocently feeding him pennies! Max was perfectly fine after that and I was so thankful for the Holy Spirit's nudging and for God's putting that infant first aid info into my hands just a little while before. Praise the Lord!!

    Megan Casteel

  4. So, so thankful that God allowed you to notice Elijah. A few years ago, some friends of mine with a large family lost their youngest (at the time) when he somehow ventured to their pool unsupervised. It was absolutely heartbreaking.

    I'm about to type up my MBM post, so I will be back soon to link it up. 🙂

  5. Your story today reminded me of a similiar one with our son when he was 3..God is so good and loving…Thank you for MBM~ It has blessed me in ways beyond my imagination.
    YOU are in my prayers this week Linny…for no pain, no cancer, and complete healing..

  6. Our daughter had brain surgery (after having a brain biopsy – after which she was playing happily within 24 hours – so don't worry) to have half her brain removed. The big thing within days was to get her to move her head further than 90 degrees – she would move from her left to center, but no further. I am not baptist, but my Aunt's baptist minister had heard our rare story and drove two hours to visit us. He was delightful, and we talked for awhile, but our daughter was grumpy so at the end of our visit we prayed together and he prayed that she would recover quickly and alleviate our concerns that we had made the right decisions – he asked for a sign from God – something I don't generally do- that all would be well. About five minutes after he left she turned her head fully to the right and asked where he went. Now it wasn't a grand miracle, but we were so pleased that God chose that moment to reassure us that we were on the right track and things would be fine.

    Linny, best of everything with your biopsy. Even with the knowledge that we made the right decisions in our daughter's situation we still had our dark days. He provides us the strength to face our worst nightmares and persevere. That does not mean the journey is easy (I'm sure you know that) but He is with us, and always guiding.

    The Dawsons will be praying for you and your family.

  7. Elijah .. you sound a bit like my Elijah .. quietly going on your way no matter what. 😀 If anyone else touches that life vest, just scream, my lil' man! 🙂 So hapy God kept you safe.

  8. I am so thankful Elijah is safe. My uncle drowned at 18 months and it haunted my grandmother her whole life. God did a mighty work to save your son. I pray that the Lord does another mighty work in your lives and heals you from your cancer. Be blessed, Denisa

  9. praise YHWH for sending His angel to guide you to rescue Elijah! *HE* is so wonderful!!! 🙂 halleluYah!! that reminds me of an amazing story that a deaf lady actually heard His voice audibly to save her daughter from drowning, her video is in ASL, I will ask her if she can have it subtitled so that you can read what she is saying… 🙂

    Will do pray for you for upcoming Wednesday biopsy, may He be with you and comfort you and continue to speak to you and guide you through it all.

  10. p.s. I have a referral for a colonscopy specialist but I'll go and see my Dr again to ask if it could be a lady Dr who does the colonoscopy as I'm not keen for a male Dr to do it…

  11. I am so thankful the Lord moved you in the direction necessary to notice little Elijah! And I'm thankful he's okay!!

    I have a similar story to share of where the Spirit of the Lord led me to do something for my good that didn't quite make sense in the beginning. On this occasion I was driving to visit family for a long weekend. Now, you have to know me to know that I do not drive on the lefthand side of a highway; I use that lane for passing and quickly get back over to the right lane.

    Well, I was in my own little world singing along with the music that played in the car when out of nowhere I felt an overwhelmingly urgent need to drive in the left lane. It didn't make sense to me to move over because no one was driving slowly in front of me, but I did. I moved. After remaining in that lane for about a minute I moved back over to the right side, and with certainty in my spirit, I heard, "I did not say move." I remember thinking, "Whoa…well, okay, this [feeling] is a little weird, but I'll move over." And not even a minute later a family of deer were entering the road on the right side of the highway right as I passed by! It all happened so fast and at a stretch of the highway where there was a bend that I would not have been able to see the deer to move in time had I been in the right lane. I am beyond certain that I would have hit that pack of deer and I hate to think what the outcome could have been.

    BUT GOD!

    He is truly my Protector, sheilding me from harm's way! It still amazes me that through all the music and my loud singing, my God spoke quiety (yet urgently) to my spirit…and I heard Him through the noise. Oh, how He loves us so, that He'll interupt our patterns and plans to bring about good in our lives! He's awesome and deserving of praise!

    **You and your appointment on Wednesday will be in my thoughts and prayers.

  12. I am so thankful the Lord moved you in the direction necessary to notice little Elijah! And I'm thankful he's okay!!

    I have a similar story to share of where the Spirit of the Lord led me to do something for my good that didn't quite make sense in the beginning. On this occasion I was driving to visit family for a long weekend. Now, you have to know me to know that I do not drive on the lefthand side of a highway; I use that lane for passing and quickly get back over to the right lane.

    Well, I was in my own little world singing along with the music that played in the car when out of nowhere I felt an overwhelmingly urgent need to drive in the left lane. It didn't make sense to me to move over because no one was driving slowly in front of me, but I did. I moved. After remaining in that lane for about a minute I moved back over to the right side, and with certainty in my spirit, I heard, "I did not say move." I remember thinking, "Whoa…well, okay, this [feeling] is a little weird, but I'll move over." And not even a minute later a family of deer were entering the road on the right side of the highway right as I passed! It all happened so fast and at a bend in the highway where I would not have been able to see the deer to move in time had I been in the right lane. I am beyond certain that I would have hit that pack of deer and I hate to think what the outcome could have been.

    BUT GOD!

    He is truly my Protector, sheilding me from harm's way! It still amazes me that through all the music and my loud singing, my God spoke quiety (yet urgently) to my spirit…and I heard Him through the noise. Oh, how He loves us so, that He'll interupt our patterns and plans to bring about good in our lives! He's awesome and deserving of praise!

    **You and your appointment on Wednesday will be in my thoughts and prayers.

  13. I am so thankful the Lord moved you in the direction necessary to notice little Elijah! And I'm thankful he's okay!!

    I have a similar story to share of where the Spirit of the Lord led me to do something for my good that didn't quite make sense in the beginning. On this occasion I was driving to visit family for a long weekend. Now, you have to know me to know that I do not drive on the lefthand side of a highway; I use that lane for passing and quickly get back over to the right lane.

    Well, I was in my own little world singing along with the music that played in the car when out of nowhere I felt an overwhelmingly urgent need to drive in the left lane. It didn't make sense to me to move over because no one was driving slowly in front of me, but I did. I moved. After remaining in that lane for about a minute I moved back over to the right side, and with certainty in my spirit, I heard, "I did not say move." I remember thinking, "Whoa…well, okay, this [feeling] is a little weird, but I'll move over." And not even a minute later a family of deer were entering the road on the right side of the highway right as I passed! It all happened so fast and at a bend in the highway where I would not have been able to see the deer to move in time had I been in the right lane. I am beyond certain that I would have hit that pack of deer and I hate to think what the outcome could have been.

    BUT GOD!

    He is truly my Protector, sheilding me from harm's way! It still amazes me that through all the music and my loud singing, my God spoke quiety (yet urgently) to my spirit…and I heard Him through the noise. Oh, how He loves us so, that He'll interupt our patterns and plans to bring about good in our lives! He's awesome and deserving of praise!

    **You and your appointment on Wednesday will be in my thoughts and prayers.

  14. Praising God with you for His protection of little Elijah. Lifting you up in prayer as you go in tomorrow. Praying you CAN give all your anxiety to HIM who is MORE THAN ABLE!! Look forward to a good report!

  15. What a praise you have today! So thankful that Elijah is fine!!

    Also, I follow another blog and they posted pics of their little boy that they just received when he was younger. I really believe that Jubilee is in one of the pictures. I thought it might be one you don't have and I know we'd love any pics we could find of our little Haleigh from her life before we adopted her. You can contact me if you would like to know the name of the blog. I don't feel comfortable posting the website online! judinicholl@hotmail.com

  16. My stomach was in knots just reading this story, so I can't imagine how shaken you were that day. Praise God for His protection of precious Elijah! He has mighty plans for your little guy.

    Much Love,
    Kathie

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>