This Blew My Mind…

DustyUncategorized 2 Comments

Dec 7, 2023

When I was a younger mom of 6 kids, I wanted to be the best home maker (but not home cleaner, lets be clear on this). I wanted to make and serve them whole foods that I made from scratch and skip all the junk from the stores. Somewhere in there I found a group called Momma Source…or something like that. It connected me with other moms who did or were looking to do the same thing and that’s where I learned to make tortillas from scratch. I even milled my own spelt wheat! I wanted to can as well. My mom was a great source but this lady I met in this group was the master! She had 5 boys, lived on a farm and could can anything…and she did! We seem to hit it off and ended up kind of being email penpals for a few years. We would keep each other abreast on the kids, ourselves and then share recipes and ideas.

One day I was going to try to meet up with her in Grand Rapids (she is from Wayland) but it just didn’t work out.

Slowly, as social media took off, we emailed less and less and eventually connected on Facebook but it has never been the same. We never totally lost to touch, I knew she was there but we were then raising teens and life was chaotic.

A couple months ago she contacted me via messenger and told me she didn’t realize Mark had passed away…She knew he was sick but something I had posted alerted her to the news she had missed. This is the crazy part. 2021 was not a good year for her as well. In April, she was out running an errand for someone really quick and a gal coming up behind her at the stop sign was texting…. and ran into her full speed. This pushed her car up into Terri’s van. The driver ended up being fine but Terri was not. There are some pieces to this story that are really cool and I’ll not tell them right I’m sure but…she had a very clear vision of herself walking with parrallel bars after she saw and felt something really warm and peaceful and she heard Jesus tell her “It’s going to be alright”. She felt very assured. She later found out she was paralyzed from the chest down. Two days later her husband fell over while having a stroke. One of her kids was trying to get the other home from the UP. Shortly after, a close family member passed away…one of her kids fiances (of 8 yrs) walked away and then her dad got sick. She was able to talk to him about Jesus before he ended up passing away. (which is so cool because as soon as she did he started praying dialy with his wife). Her husband recovered well and is still running the farm but they had to downsize. Here’s the crazy part. She is living in a hotel!!! Her house can’t accomadate for her chair so she has been living away from her family. Her husband can come on Sundays…but he has to run the farm. She barely sees her boys (youngest is Hatchers age). Just this past June, 2 plus years after the accident…the insurance finally forked out money for her to renovate her house and in September it finally started but the lead construction guy got hurt. Man, this gal can’t get a break! She needs her house done so she can be home and with her boys and her husband! The way they functioned as a family isn’t working with her not at home. I feel like she is missing huge pieces of their lives and they hers.

I went to visit her…this is the first time we have met and she is so easy to sit and talk with. She showed me the house plans and we ended up talking color and finishes. She is so excited to have a kitchen she will be able to work in and still can the goods! Its going to be great! Join me in prayer this month..and beyond…that Nathan (the GC) can replace that worker and they can keep moving on this project and get Terri home.

Her attitude through it all is amazing. She said the nurses couldn’t understand why she was so calm and positive. She told them Jesus told her its going ot be alright and she knows she will walk again. Of course, they thought she was off her rocker but when ya know ya know. She offered me some pieces of advice…while not even trying. My conversations with her when I went to visit were good. Its good to talk with other people going through stuff. Perspective. My heart hurts for her that she can’t be with Allen but….she does still have Allen and they will be together soon.

I didn’t take a photo of us but I’ll see her soon so I will 🙂

So as you are buying those gifts and putting up your tree and trying to fend off a bad attitude…look a little closer at all you DO have and all that is right. Don’t focus on what you don’t have…tune into what you DO have and if that still isn’t much, you have Jesus. And if you don’t have Jesus..he wants you and is waiting for you to step into a relationship with Him. He actually wants all the yuck in your life, the trauma, the heartache…the mistakes. He will take them and you can move forward, but now you’ll have Him by your side. You’ll start walking again.

Comments 2

  1. Wow. What a story. A story of hardship and hope. Thanks for sharing and encouraging my faith in Jesus. The hard times really do help us walk closer to him which is a beautiful thing .Can’t wait to meet you someday on the island.

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      Author

      I’m just now checking messages as I have truly neglected this…I saw you name and was like …wait! Thats the girl wth the beautiful photos of the island (I always notice the name Becca too as it was my sisters). Yes, I would love you meet you and I would love to get some prints for my place up there! All framed up and lovely.

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