Last week, we spent the whole week in the mountains with Kaz’s family. We rented a cabin in Beech Mountain, NC and had a wonderful week with family and a week free from cell phone service and internet service...it was very nice!
We booked the cabin back in the summer and I never imagined that we would be celebrating Thanksgiving as a family of 4. We sure are blessed. On Thanksgiving night, I had a lot more to be THANKFUL for than when the morning started...Let me explain.
The cabin that we stayed in had 3 stories[upstairs, main level, and basement]. Annie Rice has been working hard in therapy for the last few months on climbing stairs. Since we don’t have stairs in our house, she has to practice on 2 blocks. I was thrilled when we got the cabin and saw just how much she loved climbing the stairs. She would literally go up them 20 times+ a day. Kaz and I were so proud, because she has been working so hard on climbing stairs and she was not crawling up them, but climbing them holding onto the railing. She became really good at it, enjoyed it, and became so proud herself. On Thanksgiving, I went down to the basement to get something. She was not far behind me. I started down the stairs and made it to the bottom and had turned the corner, when I heard Annie Rice scream followed by a thump. I turned around and when I got to the stairs, what I witnessed has left a horrible image in my mind. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the basement stairs were a little deeper and she couldn’t reach the railing. She slipped on the top step and literally bounced like a ball all the way to the bottom step where I caught her. She bounced on the wood stairs from her head to her feet numerous times. I saw her eyes go back in her head as she hit each stair on her head, and by the time I got to her I was crying more than she was. She cried hysterically for 30 minutes. I held her as tight as I could and wanted to rush right out and go to the hospital. Since I saw it, I couldn’t imagine that there wouldn’t be any damage. I yelled for Kaz and when he came down, we prayed over her precious little head. For the next 30 minutes, I blamed myself thinking I should have waited on her. I should have held her hand. I wished I could go back and erase the whole thing. I was scared out of my mind that something was wrong with her head. Since she had plagiocephaly as a child, and still has a soft spot on her head, the thoughts crossing through my mind were horrible. We continued to pray over her and within about 40 minutes she was completely back to her normal self, with a big goose egg on her head. We watched her closely for the next couple of hours, and after seeing the “normal Annie Rice” we decided not to go to the doctor. After the whole thing happened, I just wanted to get away and cry my eyes out. I have never been so scared in my whole life.
One of the things that I loved most about being in the mountains, was seeing the deer in our yard everyday. We saw anywhere from 4-10 every day, and each time I would see one out of the window, I would sneak out onto the porch to watch them. I did that on Thanksgiving night, and was reminded of the Lord’s protection over His children. I believe He had a shield around Annie Rice as she fell down those 18 steps. For her to have no injuries other than a goose egg and a lot of black/blue bruises is a miracle. I had a lot more to be THANKFUL for on Thanksgiving than what I started the morning off with.
His goodness and FAITHFULNESS in my life increases more and more each day, and I don’t deserve any of the blessings He has given me. BUT I will praise HIM each day for the trials and the blessings that He entrusts me with. I have SO MUCH to be thankful for.
As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. Psalm 18:30
