My Story

This may be a heavy post... but since I have been majorly slacking on the blog front, what better way to come back? :) Read on if you choose.

My church, Ridgecrest, started a new series titled "One Cry, A call to revival" yesterday.
 During his sermon, Brother Phil proposed the question- "Do you have a testimony?"  He went on to add that if you have a relationship with the Lord, you DO have a story to share-you have a testimony.  God calls us to witness, to be disciples in all nations, to lead others to know and love Him.  Brother Phil made the point that when sharing about Jesus you will find people that will argue with the Bible, but how can they argue with you if you are sharing the bible through YOUR story?  No one can argue YOUR story because it happened to YOU and you are standing there as the "proof" behind your words. For whatever reason, this struck a cord in me.  I instantly felt as if I should share MY story.  But with who? Where? When?  Why was I feeling like this?   I decided to go home, put pen to paper and first get my story organized... and whoa. Did the Lord have something BIG saved up for me.   Where does my story begin?  Let's look.

I grew up in a wonderful, christian family with parents who loved the Lord and taught my brother, sister and I to do the same. The year that I really "GOT" it... and the year that I will say my "story" began was 1998. I was 13.  8th grade.  Braces... poofy short curly hair... with straight bangs... yea.. 8th grade.
My brother had a car accident one night in March... around 11pm.  How could I possibly remember what time it was? Because I was there when the phone rang. I heard the panic and fear in my Dad's voice as he answered the phone and then as he said, "We are on the way".  As we opened the back door, I heard the blaring sirens of the ambulance pass- the wreck happened approx. 3 miles from our home.  My mother, father and I arrived at the scene.  I watched my mother break as they told her "it didn't look good".  I watched as my Dad joined the policemen at the wreckage searching for my brother's body- which was found in the trunk of his Pontiac Firebird.  We followed the ambulance to the hospital and WAITED for what felt like hours, along with all of his friends from school that had been at the party with him. Later, we learned they almost lost him in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. They had to stabalize him before they'd allow us to see him. He had broken his neck, and his hip.  Immediate surgery was required but he would recover from this.  God SAVES. GOD HEALS.

At this time in my life, and in my 8th grade bubble- all I knew is that if I had been in that car... if I had almost died... I wouldn't go to heaven.  I hadn't been baptized... I hadn't accepted Jesus Christ as Lord of my life.  The following April, Easter Sunday to be exact,  my brother and I went before the church to profess our love for Jesus and to be baptized.  It was a wonderful day for the obvious reason- I had asked the Lord into my life, I was HIS. It also was a wonderful day because my brother was there, too.  He was alive. Our family had been tested.  Our family had come out stronger. We could face anything, we thought.

Fast forward through many "smaller" yet still important obstacles in the years that followed.  My sisters car wreck, my car wreck (yea.. we should stop driving),  grandaddy's cancer and then more importantly his remission, break-ups (of course at the time they seemed "life altering") my nephew Noah born at 28 weeks yet perfect and many other days that could be written about in my story of faith.  Odd now that I reflect and realize these smaller events always prepared my faith for the tests that would come. The tests that surely did come.  I'll just glance towards the more recent bigger events that create my story...

In April of 2010... I became Mrs. Colby Roland Mason.  It was the most wonderful day of my life.   I had met and now married the man of my dreams.  The man God had prepared for me.  My partner in life.  We left after our wedding and headed to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  As we were basking in the sun and giggling with pure happiness at our new life together as "The Masons"... Our "home" life was being threatened in the most serious of ways.  My mother had  caught the stomach virus... and without major details it led into pneumonia... which then led to the doctors putting my mom into an induced coma the day we returned from our honeymoon. Colby and I started our marriage on bended knee.  For 76 days she fought for her life.  For 76 days I prayed... I fought ... I doubted... I pleaded... I begged... I wept... I wanted... I bargained... with our God.  I couldn't loose her.  Not yet.  I NEEDED her to teach me more about being a wife, friend, daughter, sister... I just needed her.  My God is strong and mighty, My hope is in the Lord for He is able.  God SAVES.  She pulled through- not only did she pull through but her arthritis went into remission. GOD HEALS.

(mom and me, wedding day! -taken a week before she got sick)

Fast forwarding again... Monday, July 18, 2011.  My baby girl, Lucy, was born.   She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. EVER.  God is so good. I felt so full, so happy, so blessed as I looked into this beautiful, perfect baby's blue eyes... so full of life. So full of love.   July 18th, 2011. I wanted nothing else than to be her mother, and I was.

Ready to bring our baby home

We came home from the hospital on that Wednesday.  The family came over for dinner to celebrate my mother's birthday on Saturday night.  A night I now won't forget.  You see, Lucy had a touch of jaundice when she was born.  Never had to be treated but we definitely were watching her color closely to make sure it was improving.  That night, as Daddy was holding her... it was clear.  Daddy had a touch of jaundice, too.  His coloring was so off.  He was yellow. YELLOW.  Momma  made him go into the doctor as soon as it opened Monday morning- by noon on Monday- surgery was set.  Daddy had a tumor... that was most likely pancreatic cancer.  We were DEVASTATED.  He went in for his "whiple" surgery the following Tuesday- August 1st.  A surgery we were sure would lead to the news we were dreading of hearing... except, only as God can do, we heard news of a miracle.  Daddy didn't have pancreatic cancer.  The tumor was benign.  The fifth one EVER that this surgeon had seen.  They were able to remove it all- he would be okay. God SAVES.  God HEALS.

Dad with Lucy- taken a week before we found out about his tumor

My story could be SO different.  But it isn't.  God had a plan.  God's plan, perhaps, for my family... for me... at this time...is to have a story to share of HOPE. A story of God's miraculous healing power- not once... but more.  My family has seen His healing, His strength, His power revealed on more than one occasion.
What is most important about my story is that... My story will change.  My story isn't finished. And neither is yours- but I will still share my story as it unfolds.

At this present time, I have the above stories to share in my testimony.  I will share the proof of God being the most magnificent doctor and healer, friend and leader, perfect example of love, and how he will never leave me nor forsake me.  I will share this through MY own story, in addition to the stories we have been given through the Bible.   I want to show the world the love that I know.  I want the world to know what it is like to have the hope of the Lord living inside you.  God SAVES. God HEALS.

I urge you to share your story with someone... however you feel led.  You never know who needs to hear about God's work in your life.

And... If you need a church to call home, we'd love to have you join us at Ridgecrest.  www.rcbc.org
This "call to revival" is going to be BIG.  When God is involved, how could it be any other way?