Once upon a time, I started a
blog, a blog that I later moved and have subsequently neglected--it's been almost four months since I've posted anything at all to it. Today, I'm going to try (AGAIN) to get back on track and commit to this cyber recording of moments I want to always remember. In actuality, the blog was started FOR us by someone I barely knew (but who has since become a dear friend--thank you so much, Mickey) so that we could post updates regarding Jonathon's progress as he struggled to recover from a life-threatening ruptured brain aneurysm, and I (along with Blair and Jeff) did a good job for a really long time at keeping it updated for our family and friends. The prognosis at the time was incredibly bleak--we were told that it was so serious that he would likely not survive, and that even if he did somehow manage to live, he would exist in a vegetative state--but we prayed that God would spare our Jonathon and restore him to our family. I think we also believed that by sharing his story and enlisting an army of prayer warriors on his behalf, God would indeed hear us and answer our prayers. Well, friends, it's been SEVEN years ago today since we received that gut-wrenching news, and I owe God ALL of the glory for the amazing things that He has done in Jonathon's life as well as in each of our lives! I can hardly believe it when I look at the date and recall where we were at this time in 2005. We had been called shortly after 8:00 that morning and told that Jon had experienced what appeared to be a seizure while chaperoning a youth group trip near Jasper, Georgia, and that he was being taken to a nearby hospital. Within less than 30 minutes, we were told that his situation was so severe that he would be airlifted to Grady Hospital in Atlanta. With that news, we knew that his condition was grave. What we didn't know was just how grave or how long it would be before the word "normal" would again become part of our vocabulary. The journey toward "normal" has taken us through valleys and put us on top of mountains. We've cried rivers of tears and we've laughed uncontrollably; we've been fearful and we've been brave. We've survived, and we've realized how very, very blessed we are.
Although Jonathon's recovery and progress is always at the forefront of our thoughts and prayers, the past seven years have brought with them many other changes for the Clark family. Our oldest son, Taylor, got married five years ago and each of the siblings was part of the wedding party. As I wrote at the time, I'm not sure which sight was more beautiful--the bride or Jon as he slowly but surely made his way WALKING down the aisle, something he worked hard to do from the moment Taylor and Portia got engaged.
Adding to the beauty of their marriage, Taylor and his beautiful wife, Portia, gave us our first grandchild, Carson, nearly two years ago. Can you imagine how amazing it is for us to see Jonathon as "Uncle Jon"? Check it out for yourself!
Have you ever seen anything sweeter? Uncle Jon loves his Carson, and Carson loves his Uncle Jon! My dad would have called it a "mutual admiration society"!
Also in these seven years, our daughter, Blair, followed her heart and moved to New York City where she met (actually re-connected with him since she actually met him in 7th grade) and fell in love with her boyfriend, Ron. I guess you could say she not only followed her heart, she found it!
(Another mutual admiration society!) And would you believe it? Ron was actually on a baseball team with Jeff when they were younger!
Speaking of Jeff...in the years since Jon's aneurysm, he also met (another re-connection since they actually have known each other since kindergarten) and fell in love with his now-fiancee, Sarah.
The wedding date is June 9 of this year and Jon is the Best Man! (When Jeff told me that he was going to ask Jon to be his Best Man, he said "Mom, I've always known that Jon would be my Best Man! I was BORN with a Best Man!" Oh, how I love that!) AND...Blair is the Maid of Honor! Taylor and Portia are also in the wedding so we get another opportunity to see all our "children" in the same wedding! How very blessed we are!
Yes, the Clarks have seen many changes over the past seven years, and although our lives are far from perfect and Jonathon's recovery has not been without its struggles and setbacks, we've realized that blessings come in many ways and that sometimes you just have to shift your focus for a bit in order to see things more clearly.
"And though my heart is torn, I will praise You in this storm" - Praise You in This Storm (Casting Crowns)
"give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus" - 1 Thessalonians 5:18
