To God Be The Glory: A Note from Joel

This World Is Not My Home

I'm just a passin' through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. In the meantime, we are so thankful to be in the center of our Lord's will and for the blessing of serving our Saviour and the people of Bible Baptist Church for the last 35 years here in Kalispell, Montana. This blog is a way of keeping in touch with our extended families, church family, and friends far and wide. We feel so blessed by each one of you and what you mean to us. We are thankful for your prayers over the years and especially now. More importantly, we encourage every one our fellow Christian soldiers to "hold the fort". Use both the joys and trials to tell others of God's amazing grace. It is our desire to give Him the glory in all things. "Wave the answer back to heaven, by Thy grace, we will"

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

A Note from Joel

When I got a phone call saying that my dad had been in a wreck, I was concerned and left the house right away. I have a tendency to downplay things and not worry about something until there is really something to worry about. I figured he had just gotten into a little fender bender in his truck pulling out of the restaurant and I really was not all that worried. Once I turned onto LaSalle and saw all the lights and the ambulance my heart began to beat faster. As I pulled up closer and saw the car smashed up and the building caved in, I just started praying the he would still be alive. All kinds of things go through your head. I prayed over and over, “Lord, help my Dad be okay.” Then I saw my brother there with him. We stood there together and he told me to let Dad know I was here. I rode in the ambulance with him and was able to talk to him, encourage him and be with him. I thought I was so glad that he was at least conscious and not in a coma or anything. I kept encouraging him as much as I could. It was so good to enter the Emergency Room and see a friend who was the acting ER nurse. The first two hours were such a rush of adrenaline. After I had a chance to walk outside and calm down and think for a bit, the realization of what had just happened and how close to death he had come really hit me. I broke down emotionally for a good few minutes. It took a while to assess that he was going to be okay over time, but still very difficult to face the amount of pain he was suffering.

This has made me realize anew how fragile life is and to be very grateful that he is still alive. I know he is fully ready to go and if the Lord would have taken him then it would be, as in the words of Paul, “For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain”. I would have been okay with that too, but I am so glad he is still with us. I know that God is still planning to use my Dad in a mighty way.

My Dad has been so dedicated to give out the gospel as much as he can. His boldness and testimony is so encouraging. Please pray with me that he can lead a soul to see salvation through Jesus Christ. Additionally, that God would allow him to fully recover with no further injuries through the winter. I am looking forward to the day that he can stand and preach once again.