...continued from last time
...continued from last time....
....well, there we were....homeless (without insurance)......
i'm not sure how to continue...
we stayed at my in-laws' house (james' dad and step-mom) for a couple of days until we could find someplace to stay longer-term.
my memories are kind of broken from this point. i can't really remember what happened in which order, but i do remember that my aunt and uncle in conroe offered for us to stay in their spare bedroom for a couple of months, and we moved in on January 1, 2001.
i also remember going back to the site of our house and digging through the ashes. we found bits of things that we recognized. we found our wedding picture completely undamaged (that was God.) we found my childhood stuffed animals and pictures that had been protected under a fire-retardant feather bed james' mother had given us. we found enough bits and pieces and some dishes i thought i could salvage to halfway fill our trunk.
we didn't find the cats.
we did find the dog...and took him to aunt glada's. (that's the aunt whose extra room we were staying in).
i remember having to make myself never go back there again--to the site of our house that is.
i remember when we found out that those tools that had been saved by being at a jobsite had all been stolen--all of them.
i remember knowing who did it, not being able to prove it, and having to forgive.
i remember an outpouring of kindness from people i didn't know, showering us with dishes, clothes...whatever they could find.
i remember most of all knowing that God's hand was on us...that He had provided for us...i remember a sense of peace even though neither of us had a job or any way to support ourselves...
i remember the day that i went back to our ashes about a week after the fire and finally cried...a lot
i remember realizing that when God gives you things, you should use them instead of hiding them in a box in the closet waiting for a nicer place to use them....you might not have them later....His gifts are for now
i remember that i'll never forget the beginning of 2001...and that God never once left me alone in it...i'll never forget that.
to be continued...
(please let me know if you're reading my autobiographical bit of blog; it will encourage me to continue. 8) )
....well, there we were....homeless (without insurance)......
i'm not sure how to continue...
we stayed at my in-laws' house (james' dad and step-mom) for a couple of days until we could find someplace to stay longer-term.
my memories are kind of broken from this point. i can't really remember what happened in which order, but i do remember that my aunt and uncle in conroe offered for us to stay in their spare bedroom for a couple of months, and we moved in on January 1, 2001.
i also remember going back to the site of our house and digging through the ashes. we found bits of things that we recognized. we found our wedding picture completely undamaged (that was God.) we found my childhood stuffed animals and pictures that had been protected under a fire-retardant feather bed james' mother had given us. we found enough bits and pieces and some dishes i thought i could salvage to halfway fill our trunk.
we didn't find the cats.
we did find the dog...and took him to aunt glada's. (that's the aunt whose extra room we were staying in).
i remember having to make myself never go back there again--to the site of our house that is.
i remember when we found out that those tools that had been saved by being at a jobsite had all been stolen--all of them.
i remember knowing who did it, not being able to prove it, and having to forgive.
i remember an outpouring of kindness from people i didn't know, showering us with dishes, clothes...whatever they could find.
i remember most of all knowing that God's hand was on us...that He had provided for us...i remember a sense of peace even though neither of us had a job or any way to support ourselves...
i remember the day that i went back to our ashes about a week after the fire and finally cried...a lot
i remember realizing that when God gives you things, you should use them instead of hiding them in a box in the closet waiting for a nicer place to use them....you might not have them later....His gifts are for now
i remember that i'll never forget the beginning of 2001...and that God never once left me alone in it...i'll never forget that.
to be continued...
(please let me know if you're reading my autobiographical bit of blog; it will encourage me to continue. 8) )
present and accounted for
ReplyDeleteBethy,
ReplyDeleteI am amazed to read all this. I never realized all that you and Jme went through. You truly have an incredible story.
I guess that each of us has a intense and incredible story to share with the world because our Father wants us to impact the planet with His love and power. i've been thinking a lot lately about living before an audience of One and loving His people as I love Him and more than I love myself. Jesus said to love our neighbor as we love ourselves then Paul said to put others above ourselves. The only reasonable conclusion that I can make is that we need to love others as we love our Lord because only then can we think of them before we think of ourselves. Ya know??
I really am on fire for God these days and I'm glad that He loves me as He does to wake me up.
Earlier today as I was driving home from SHSU i saw a big bird flying in the sky alone ~ just soaring not working. The bird looked like it was playing with God. Well anyway, i was thinking of the prophetic word that was given to MCF about a year ago about the different congregations having different purposes ~ the Sanctuary was to bring the high places low, the Father's House was to bring the low places up and CTK was to make the crooked places straight. The Lord told me that our churches are different than others in our area ~ we're AWAKE while others are asleep. He said that He had anointed our leadership to hear and follow Him without question. I plan to share this with Mike and Denise, but I wanted to tell you to.
Please continue your story . . . i really liked reading it!!!
I love you big sister!!
Today is 03/08/2006
ReplyDeleteI just found your autobiography. Please continue. God has an awesome plan for your life, for Him to be trying you with the fire and the flame (literally then and figuratively now with no car). You and James are a real blessing to the body of Christ and we will miss you greatly when you are called to Africa (unless we get there first)
akfdljasdfjkalsjdf
ReplyDeletethis is march 26 and i'm just now finding your "story" wow...... now on to part 3 (i'm behind everyone else)
ReplyDeleteyou are loved...
I am also reading your "story" and am glad that you wrote it. I am so very grateful to have you in my life. The little time that we have shared has been a blessing to me and I love you.
ReplyDeletejewel
ReplyDeletei don't know if you'll read this comment (i don't have your email address) but i love you too.
you are a blessing to me.
thank you for reading my story.
i hope that it impresses on you the unending faithfulness of our gracious God.
I'm going to continue reading - it's finally giving me the courage to cry - 5 years later.
ReplyDelete