2025 Note to Self
This is the 7th day of the New Year and it's time to take a quick look back before marching forward.
Do you remember when you had your first brush with death? The year was 1970 and your gallbladder burst. You were only 13. Gangrene was
coursing through your body as the surgeon worked quickly to remove that
organ. You were in the hospital for over a week and went through an entire
year of medical treatment afterward to survive. During that time, you grew to understand what true physical pain felt like for the first time in your life.
In 1990, you had your second brush with death when you were involved in a serious motor vehicle
accident. Your right leg was almost severed. After a radical surgery, a week in the hospital
and treatment you went home in a wheelchair, physically and emotionally broken. Your marriage had fallen apart, you had 4 young children to raise alone, and you were devastated. You were unable to walk for over a year. The doctors thought they were going to have to amputate your leg due to multiple staph infections and lack of bone growth. But God intervened. When you reached out to the pastor of your little country
church and asked the deacons to come anoint you with oil and pray over you, they did. It was the first time they'd ever done that and weren't quite sure how to go about it, but all of you had faith and God used that experience to draw you closer to Himself.
In 2014, you had your third brush with death. You were diagnosed with breast cancer. Quickly, you realized the seriousness of the
situation and learned you had to make a lot of tough decisions. But your faith was strong, never did you doubt God had allowed the cancer into your life. You didn't know it then, but learned later He would use it for
His glory.
In the middle of August 2024, you had your fourth brush with death. Right after surgery to repair a hiatal hernia, your bowels shut down. You'd developed an ileus, a life threatening condition. You were rushed to the emergency room, kept overnight, and then transported to Atlanta for a week long hospital stay there as doctors worked hard to get you well enough to go home.
A month later, you were rushed to the ER with tachycardia. Your blood pressure was sky high and your heart was beating out of rhythm. It was touch and go, but the doctors got you stabilized the following day and sent you home. Then, the same thing happened again about 6 weeks later!
Over and over again, you've faced various trials but God has allowed you to live. Sometimes you've felt like a cat with 9 lives, wondering when the next event might take you out and this has caused extreme anxiety, but God's always been there. In your heart, you've known God must have a special purpose for not only allowing you to go through these things, but keeping you safe and letting you live through and past them! You have grown to understand His hand of favor is upon you.
Bonnie, the
Bible says our lives are like a vapor, here today and gone tomorrow.
God created us for His glory. We have a job to do while we’re here and
that’s to spread His love to others.
Every day as you wake, be sure and thank
God for allowing you to see another day. Life is a gift, a very, very precious gift.
As you go through the rest of this year, remember these things. Hide them in your heart and consider them carefully. No one knows what tomorrow holds, but you know WHO holds all your tomorrows.
Many blessings to you, my sweet self. Keep your eyes toward the Son. He's got you.
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