Godspots and Legacies

David and I attended an event a few nights ago entitled, "Leaving a Legacy", expecting to gain useful information in planning for our children and their children--things we had perhaps overlooked on our estate planning "To Do" list. I have to admit that the presentation fell short of our expectations, BUT the knowledge we gained was invaluable! Oh, I don't mean ANY of the information that the speaker shared; I mean the information we gathered from another couple sitting at our table. As we chatted before dinner, one of the couples shared with us that they, too, had a son attending UGA. We talked a little about the campus and about the plans our sons had for next year. I mentioned that limited mobility is an issue for Jonathon, but at no time did I say anything about WHY mobility was an issue. As we talked, another couple at our table (who knew of Jonathon's experiences) asked me how he was doing. Although they didn't say more about his situation, it was almost like a "lightbulb moment" for the other couple. At that time, the husband looked at my nametag and said, "You're Jon Clark's parents: I didn't make the connection!" He then told us that he and his wife had actually been at Sharp Top when Jonathon collapsed. He went on to tell us that he, in fact, had gone to the First Aid station to get the back board to put Jon on. While we are always interested in hearing from individuals who were at the retreat, it was what they told us next that really hit home. When the husband told us that he had retrieved the back board, his wife said, "Remember you wore your tennis shoes that day." (Normally I wouldn't think one thing about that, but she seemed to think it was important to share.) She continued by saying that he typically wouldn't wear his tennis shoes, but that when she questioned him about it, he replied that he just felt like he should wear his tennis shoes that day. WHY he felt compelled to wear tennis shoes wasn't revealed until he became the volunteer who RAN to the First Aid station (which, by the way, was uphill from the dining hall) to get the back board. Do you think that was coincidence? I certainly don't! I think it was another Godspot! I believe with all my heart that God told him to wear THOSE shoes on THAT day because he was going to need to RUN!!!

Earlier in the evening, I spoke with the doctor who had accompanied the group to Sharp Top-- remember, this was the first time a doctor had been on this particular retreat--because I wanted to tell him that he had been the subject of a speech Jonathon gave last week for one of his classes. I wanted him to know that the nature of the speech, called an epideictic extemporaneous, was to praise (or blame) a person or thing. In presenting an epideictic (yeah, I can hardly even say it!) speech, the attitude of the audience should be taken into account, particularly if the topic is of an emotional nature which Jonathon's surely was. Jonathon chose to praise Dr. Don not only for electing to go on the retreat but also for his accurate assessment of the situation on the morning Jonathon collapsed because that assessment and the decision to lifeflight him to Grady was key in saving his life. I also wanted him to know that Jonathon received 9 out of 10 points for his speech, with very favorable comments from his instructor. (Jonathon also told me that the instructor said he rarely gave 10 out of 10 points, so he was pretty pumped about his grade!) As I told the doctor all this he added that one of the things HE found to be so important in the events of that morning was that Bob, the youth director, had my cell phone number programmed into his phone. Well, what Dr. Don didn't know was that it wasn't MY cell phone number that was in Bob's phone--it was Jeff's! When Bob called Jeff, he never expected him to be home for the weekend; he assumed that Jeff would be at school and that he would get my number from him. To add to the awesomeness of God's hand in the experience is that Jeff was standing about three feet away from me when the call came in from Bob. Those few moments saved by not having to make a second call to reach me surely were key. Being able to speak with Dr. Don so quickly and give him Jonathon's medical history were critical in his assessment and in the chain of events that next occurred.

Oh, and one more thing I learned--the "tennis shoes" guy told me that one thing he found pretty cool was that when the EMTs arrived to take Jon to the hospital (although soon making the decision to have him airlifted), he noted that the driver of the ambulance was wearing a NASCAR jacket! How great is that? Maybe in that one moment in his life, that driver envisioned himself in one of the most important races of his life! And to me........he was!

So here we are, almost four years later and I am still in awe of God's total control over the events in our lives. Yes, He is God who sees the big picture, but He is also God who scripts every single detail! He tells us when to wear tennis shoes, when to come home for the weekend, when to keep cell numbers stored, when to chaperone youth group trips, and even when being a NASCAR fan might hold the key to saving another person's life. He holds each piece of the puzzle and in His time, he places each one into its very special place in our lives. Whew! Now THAT's the God I want in control of my life!

Maybe attending that program on leaving a legacy wasn't all that I had expected it to be...but just maybe it was more than I could have ever hoped for! Maybe the more I see God at work in my life and in the lives of those around me, the more equipped I am to share His love, grace, and mercy with others..........and maybe, just maybe, that's what leaving a legacy is all about!

"I want to leave a legacy. How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love; did I point to You enough?" ~Nicole Nordeman

"Those who know your name will trust in you,for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you." ~ Psalm 9:10

Buckhead Boys

So Jonathon got to experience another "first" this past weekend........he went to Buckhead, which--for those of you who don't know--is a popular night spot for the "older than college, but not read to settle down" crowd in Atlanta. His twin brother, Jeff, was meeting some friends from work and asked Jon if he'd like to join them. It never occurred to me that Jonathon hadn't ever had the opportunity to just go hang out there, although I have no idea when I thought he might have! Although I must admit that I was a nervous wreck knowing he was out (yeah, I know--he's a big boy), I must also admit that I was really happy that he had the chance to just go out and be young for a change! Of course, my happiness was somewhat dimmed by the fact that they didn't get home until almost time for the paper to arrive on Saturday morning!!!! (Yeah, I didn't get much sleep that night; THEY, however, got lots of sleep on Saturday!) All in all, it was a great experience for Jonathon. He got to hang out with people his age and BE YOUNG! He's missed out on so much these past few years that I guess a night of youthful debauchery every once in a while is okay.........I'm just glad they don't do it often--I'd NEVER get any rest! Ha!

Bible Study "Ah-Ha" Moments

I haven't been posting a lot because I "decided" that nobody really cared about what I had to say anyway, so why bother? Tonight, I had one of those "ah-ha"--hit me over the head--moments when I realized that it didn't really matter WHAT anyone else thought! What really mattered is that when I felt compelled to share my thoughts, it didn't matter one iota whether a single person read my posts or not! Sometimes you just gotta talk.......or write! So here goes...........

I realized tonight as I listened to some of my Bible Study friends that I had so much on my heart that I wanted to share, and it didn't really matter to me whether a single soul besides myself read it anyway! I want to continue to remind myself that God has been SO gracious to me.........to us! When I first returned to Bible Study in the fall of 2005 (after Jon's aneurysym), we did Beth Moore's study on John, the Beloved Disciple. In that first week, she addressed the meaning of the name, John, which is "God has been gracious." I remember how profoundly that affected me! GOD HAS BEEN GRACIOUS!!! Jonathon is alive, and he is thriving! How many aneurysm patients can claim that? Especially, how many BRAIN aneurysm patients--especially those with the degree of damage the statistics said Jonathon would have--can claim that? With the prognosis we were initially given for Jonathon, how can I possibly question God's infinite wisdom and plans for my son? I have to remind myself that this is THE God who gave His own Son to pay for my iniquities! One word............WOW!

Jonathon has returned to college; he is living independently on-campus. He is enrolled as a FULL-TIME student; what more could I ask for at this point in his life? Sure........it's a struggle at times, but isn't life a struggle? I have to constantly remind myself that God hasn't brought Jonathon to this point in his life to now abandon him.............He wants Jonathon to enjoy a future and to prosper! Does Jonathon's future look the same as his brother's and his sister's does? NOT REALLY.............but does Jonathon HAVE a future? ABSOLUTELY!!! And who am I to question what his future really holds? Jonathon indeed has a future, and THAT is what I need to continue to remind myself! God promised each of us hope AND a future!

Praise HIM!
"Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance!
I just want to praise him; I just want to praise him!"

We Live

I woke up this morning and couldn't get the lyrics to "We Live" by Superchick out of my head. I kept singing:
"There's a cross on the side of the road
Where a mother lost her son
How could she know that the morning he left
Would be the last time she'd trade with him for a little more time
(so she could say she loved him one last time)"
I then continued to sing the chorus:
"We live, we love, we forgive and never give up
Cuz the days we are given are gifts from above
And today we remember to live and to love
We live, we love, we forgive and never give up
Cuz the days we are given are gifts from above
And today we remember to live and to love"

So the first part of the lyrics is pretty depressing, right? Anyway, WHY I couldn't get that song out of my head didn't connect until later today when Jeff and David delivered our old, but still usable, washer and dryer to a needy family in our area. Last weekend, in an effort to clean out our storage unit, we decided to swap our washer and dryer for ones we had in storage from when our daughter, Blair, moved away. We then asked a friend of ours who works in an area of the county that is made up largely of single-parent, low-income families if she knew of a family who might be in need of our old but still functional washer/dryer. To our delight, she said, "Yes, I do!" Hence, the delivery today......

What we had no idea prior to today was the background of the family to which they would be delivering the washer/dryer. David and Jeff met our friend in the parking lot of the school where she works and proceeded to the family's home. They dropped off the appliances and as they walked back to our truck, our friend told David that the mother to whom he had just delivered the washer/dryer lost her 20-year-old daughter between Thanksgiving and Christmas of last year to a brain aneurysm. I didn't accompany David and Jeff for the delivery, but let me tell you that when David told me what had happened, I nearly fell to my knees! How awesome is our God that He would so beautifully orchestrate our lives that we could help another family who was in need and who had experienced a similar tragedy, although without the same results?

Even more affirming of His power was the fact that when I got in my car today (after David told me what happened), the song that was playing on the radio was "We Live" by Superchick! What struck me most upon hearing it was the following line:
"And tragedy's a reminder to take off the blinders
and wake up (to live the life)
We're supposed to take up (moving forward)
With all our heads up
Cuz life is worth living"

Yes, tragedy IS a reminder to "take off the blinders"! I am eternally grateful to our Father who taught me through tragedy to view the world and to see His love differently. Would I change the course of events so that my son never experienced what he did? Of course! Would I want my own life to remain the way that it was prior to this journey? NO WAY! I truly see how God used "all things" to work for the good of those who have been called according to His purpose!

Music to Our Ears

I'm not very good at keeping secrets, although I admit I've been keeping one for about a month now. To catch a glimpse of what I've been "hiding", check out the video below:

In case you couldn't quite figure out the tune, Jonathon is playing "Little Brown Jug", the VERY first thing he learned to play on the guitar, compliments of his grandfather, Big Hal (my dad). That song was the beginning of Jonathon's interest in learning to play, so it seems fitting that it would be one of the first he would re-learn. He played this along with a few other "teasers" on Christmas night for us and promises that he will continue to work on regaining this very special gift he has. I am amazed that even though it's been almost four years, God is STILL answering our prayers forJonathon. It makes me think of Hebrews 11:18 where we learn that "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going."

We have no idea where God is leading any of us, but by faith we desire to go where He wants us to be! With the progress Jonathon has made, how could any of us doubt God's plans and desires for us?

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

For as long as I can remember since having children, we've waited until Christmas morning to place baby Jesus in our Nativity. I wanted my children to fully appreciate that we were celebrating the birth of our Savior and to be excited about that moment when He arrived. I didn't want the placing of the Nativity to simply be another decoration we hauled out every year, only to pack away and forget about until the next Christmas season arrived. I wanted it to MEAN something to them. This year--without fanfare--as the rest of the family still slept, I quietly placed our baby Jesus into His "spot" in the stable and felt an overwhelming sense of calm as well as a bit of sadness that we hadn't made a production out of placing Him in the stable. I reflected for a moment and then realized that's exactly how He DID arrive........quietly, while much of the world was still sleeping, in a tiny stable in a tiny town. Whew! Talk about that crazy feeling you get inside when something more powerful than you've ever felt takes over your body! I could almost feel my heart racing! I stared for a moment at that tiny porcelain baby staring back at me from His tiny porcelain manger, and for a brief moment I even thought, "His eyes should be closed; He's supposed to be sleeping in the manger." And the next moment, I realized that His eyes had always been on me, on us! What a beautiful, beautiful Birthday Boy! I closed my eyes and thanked our God for the Son He so generously gave so that we might be saved from ourselves and find shelter from all our storms. I thanked Him again for the beautiful family He has blessed me with and for the miracle He gave us nearly four years ago in sparing our Jonathon. Happy Birthday, Jesus! Merry Christmas, Everyone! I hope that your Christmas has been as blessed as ours.......

Still grateful for your prayers,
Mary

Oh, Christmas Tree: Or around here...Glory, Glory to Old Georgia!

I'm posting a picture of the tree in Jonathon's room, one that was first decorated in 2005, the year he moved into his "new" room. At that time, we decided that a Georgia (as in UGA) tree would be appropriate since the theme of the entire room was red, black, and definitely Bulldog! As I put the tree up this year, I couldn't help but be amazed that this is the FOURTH year that I've been able to do this! I continue to be amazed at just how far we've all traveled in Jonathon's recovery--Jonathon, of course, most of all. His endurance, determination, and spirit are a constant source of wonder for me. I often ask myself if I had been faced with the same challenges as he has whether I would have risen to them as he so consistently has. I'd like to think I would, but I often think that I wouldn't have had the strength. (I AM old, after all! Haha!) I try hard not to dwell on the past, and for the most part I think I do a pretty good job, but I know without a doubt that the past few years have totally shaped our present. Although our lives have returned to a degree of normalcy, none of us will ever view "normal" in the same way again. Just last night, in fact, David anwered the phone, and when I heard him respond to the caller with "Yes, we're Jonathon Clark's parents", I literally felt myself struggling to breathe. Jonathon didn't come home this past weekend, so I feared that this was some sort of notification call. Crazy, isn't it? David was doing his best to give me signals to let me know everything was okay, but by the time the call ended I was crying like a baby! Talk about coming unglued! (And the truth is........it was merely someone soliciting funds for UGA!) Ah well, I guess that as tough as we try to be, a mama's heart is a fragile thing.

On a lighter note, I'm including some other photos of Jonathon's UGA room. Is it any wonder that when he's home, we have to pry him out of his "Dawg" house? Yeah, he really has it rough.........or should that be "ruff"?

Complete with the "G" And.......UGA
And a place for some Dawg talk....
As well as some Dawg food.....

(yes, those are signed photos of Vince Dooley and

Mark Richt on the wall as well as one of the team!)

And definitely a place for a Dawg to rest!

Great is Thy faithfulness,Great is Thy faithfulness,

Morning by morning new mercies I see:

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!