Anderson Observer

It is Wednesday night and Craig is getting Jake ready for bed.  We have our routine each night - medicines, the hand splint, cast for foot, and leg brace.  Craig takes Jake to therapy in the morning and I pick him up in the afternoon - this gives us both a little bit of down time which is great for recharging the batteries.

Most of you remember our friend Tim Robinson - the football player who was injured in a game on October 9 in Mobile, Alabama.  Tim is here with his dad, Ben, and Toby.  Toby is the brother of the head football coach at Tim's high school.  Toby did not know Tim before the accident but was in attendance at the game the night of the accident.  After the accident, God told Toby to stay by Tim's side during his recovery.  Since the accident in October, Toby has not left Tim's side.  If you see Tim, you see Toby.  Tim requires a lot of care - Tim does not speak, can not feed himself, only slightly moves his right hand, and is not able to handle any of his personal care.  After Tim goes to bed at night, Toby's other work is just beginning.  How do we know this?  A couple of nights ago, Craig was walking out of the Family Apartments to walk up the street to CVS.  Toby walked out at the same and they start walking together but Toby is on a different mission.  He walks up and down Peachtree Road finding the opportunity to share his faith and to further God's word.  Toby is bigger than life - he is a 6'5 African American who has an infectious, magnetic personality that just draws people toward him and his message.  So Craig joined him on his mission - what a twosome - if any one had seen these two on Monday night, they were certainly an odd couple to say the least.  Yet, Craig was awed by the number of people that would call out to Toby when they would see him coming.  Where do you go at 11 pm at night on Peachtree Road in Atlanta?  One of the places they stopped was an all night barber shop that Toby frequents just forming relationships with the people and they just see Christ through Toby and his words and actions.  After the barber shop, the next stop was a food establishment where Toby had been witnessing to a 19 y/o employee named Rashaad.   This is just another experience and influence in our lives where we can say that we will never be the same.  We are around people that we may never have met in our lives who are witnessing & serving God with such a sense of urgency.  What is the urgency?  As Toby told Craig, " I had to go and see Rashaad tonight because I will not see him for the next 6 days and what if he were in an accident and died before I knew that he had nailed his salvation down."   No - we will never be the same - and I don't want to be the same person that I was.

Jake had a wonderful surprise today.  Emily and her mother, Lynne drove to Atlanta and surprised Jake this afternoon.  He was so shocked and it was such a nice break for the middle of the week.  We had a great time visiting with them and we went out for a great Mexican dinner.

From my devotion:  "Morning is a critically important time of day.  You must never face the day until you have looked into His.  You cannot expect to be victorious, if you begin your day in your own strength alone.  Begin the work of every day after having been influenced by a few reflective, quiet moments between your heart and God.  Do not meet with others, even the  members of your own family, until you have first met with the great Guest and honored Companion of your life - Jesus Christ.  Meet with Him alone and regularly, having His Book of counsel open before you.  Then face the ordinary, and the unique, responsibilities of each day with the renewed influence and control of His character over all your actions."   Wow - how much better off would all of our lives be if we started each day off this way......

I may have already shared this with you but it is on my heart again....  Early in the Fall, I was telling Craig that I just did not know what I was suppose to do with my life - this was said thinking about being "empty nesters" in the next 9 months.  I am open to whatever or wherever God leads me during and after this journey.  I think that God is preparing me for something - but I just don't know what it is.... yet.

PRAYER REQUESTS:  
1.  PRAY FOR JAKE TO SAY MANY MANY NEW WORDS.  PRAY THAT JAKE CAN READ AND WRITE!
2. PRAY THAT JAKE WILL BE ABLE TO GRIP AND RELEASE IN HIS RIGHT HAND!
3.  PRAY THAT JAKE WILL WALK HEAL TO TOE!
4.  PRAY THAT JAKE WILL USE THIS EXPERIENCE TO SHARE GOD'S WORD IN WHATEVER WAY GOD CHOOSES.