Ray of Hope

The year 2009 was a rough one for me. It started out with me finding out I was unexpectedly pregnant (with my little guy who I wouldn't trade for anything). 

Morning sickness started at about 6 weeks and continued until about 20 weeks. I also suffered through 3 bouts of strep throat one right after the other in my first trimester. Strep throat that made me throw up - in the middle of Disney World. I ended up on a cot in the "health room" while the rest of my family enjoyed our last day at Disney. That night I flew home with a Dramamine and a prayer. 

By June of that year, I was in bad shape and ended up getting my third gestational diabetes diagnosis. I was probably at the lowest point of my life.  

I was sick. I was depressed. I was overwhelmed. I was stressed out - beyond stressed out. (This was in the middle of my funk.)  

The first full week of summer vacation, I had a doctor appointment. I brought all three kids with me - stressful - and on the way home we were in a car accident. A woman ran into the side of my van and scraped it up. Thankfully, the accident was minor and no one was hurt. 

But, really?? It was just one more thing for me to deal with.

The insurance company came and gave us a check for $1900 to take care of the damage.

Being that I couldn't deal with anything and the fact that I am a hopeless procrastinator, we didn't get the van fixed right away. 

Six weeks later, we take the van in to have something repaired unrelated to the accident. 

When we go to pick up our van, I saw it parked and waiting for us. But the van I saw had no big scuff down the side, no dents, or any other visible damage. 

I ask my husband, "Is that our van?"

He, of course, says "Yes."

I said, "Look, there is nothing wrong with it. It looks like we were never in an accident."

We went inside to pay and asked the man at the desk if they had fixed the side of our van. He said "No."

We said "But we were in an accident and now there is no scuff."

He actually said, "Maybe someone brushed against the van and rubbed the scuff off."

To this we laugh and say, "No, it was a major scratch with dents."

He never admitted to fixing up our van.

We still don't know what exactly happened but I do know that God provided for us in a major way. 

That summer, due to the gestational diabetes, I needed to go to the hospital 2-3 times a week. I ended up reducing my hours due to the appointments and my inability to cope with trying to stabilize my blood sugar and deal with insulin injections. 

Also, our son was born at the end of August and I needed to take some time off to recuperate. 

We were going to be losing a lot of income but God took care of it. 

We had the money from the accident AND a fixed up van. 

I still shake my head in unbelief when I think of what happened that summer. In the midst of the darkest storm, God broke through the clouds giving me a ray of hope. 

Did He rescue me from the storm? No.
Did He let me know that He was still there, He still cared and was going to take care of me? Yes, yes He did.


 Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you HOPE and a future."

This was my verse for that year (every year God gives me a theme verse at some point). My neighbor even unknowingly gave me a plaque with that verse on it that June for my birthday.

   Our God is awesome.