How deeply He genuinely cares....

The last few months have been a time of great stretching for me.  I have been trying to wrap my head around it all -  to make sense of it all.  To not be angry.  To listen to Paul's advice and be thankful in all circumstances.

I was stopped at a red light, chatting with my daughter about her day at school - then everything went black.  It took me a few moments to try and understand what happened.  I looked over at my daughter and she looked so scared.  I looked behind me and saw smoke billowing out of the vehicle behind me.  So many thoughts went racing through my head, "Why did the vehicle behind me run into me?"  "Did the driver have a heart attack?"  "Were they on their cell phone and didn't see the line of cars stopped at the red light?"  I exited my vehicle to see what was going on and saw all the damage and knew I needed to call the police - nothing was where it once was in my vehicle.  Luckily my cell phone was charging so I pulled on the cord until my cell phone appeared.  I never knew how difficult it could be to dial 911 when your body is shaking, your thoughts are foggy and going in all directions.  As I am trying to figure out how to use my phone my daughter keeps trying to tell me something.  I am so confused.

I soon realize that the person that just ran into me is speeding away.  I am finally able to dial 911 and I tell them that the vehicle that just ran into me just drove away, luckily the person from the vehicle that I was pushed into in front me got the license plate and we were able to give the information to the police.  

In no time at all the police were everywhere and I find out that when the vehicle ran into me it pushed me into the two vehicles in front of me.  The police caught the person who hit me - he was drunk with a suspended license.

There is so much more to this story.  The past two months have been painful physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually and have been full of blessings.

It has be so encouraging as friends came alongside to help and support.  We have seen God's hand moving in so many areas since the accident.  It's hard for us to truly understand how deeply He genuinely cares about everything that His children experience.  

A few months ago I read a blog post from my friend Becky (Farmgirl Paints) about Love Hugs.  Love Hugs are those simple moments in your life that you know God is doing something just for you.  God shows up in our day to day life in ways that are unique to each of us.  

I have experienced these moments many times and I am so glad that Becky gave them a name - Love hugs.   I told my daughters about it one day as I was driving them to school.  They immediate knew what my "love hugs" were.  Many times when I have been having a negative moment or feeling low I will see wildlife.  Living in Northern Saskatchewan gives you the opportunity to see a variety of wildlife - fox, deer, moose, elk, coyotes, bear or even a wolf.  I tend to get so excited that I nearly scare my husband off the road as he is driving.  I know these are my "Love hugs".  Since I have shared this with my daughters they are on the look out for their own "Love hugs" and they point mine out as well.  I am so glad that they can recognize how God is active and alive in our lives daily.  What a gift.

Shortly before my accident I was asked to speak at a Mother/Daughter retreat.  After my accident I wasn't sure that I should teach because of my concussion and how foggy my thinking was.  But I knew without a doubt that there was a reason for all of this.  That Friday I packed up both our daughters and myself and we traveled to beautiful Christopher Lake for the retreat, just as we rounded the last bend in the road there stood five deer grazing in the ditch.  Then I hear from the back seat, "Mom you just got a "love hug!"  Yes, I did.  

I am loved,
I am protected,
​I am so very thankful.