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The Explosion in West, TX and Fatherhood

ImageGrant and I have been grieving this week over the bombings in Boston and the explosion in West, TX. We were heading to bed on Wednesday night when we heard the news about the fertilizer plant explosion. We were glued to the television as we watched the events unfolding in West, unable to fully believe that what we were seeing was actually taking place. We immediately began to pray through tears. It was all we could do.

It especially hit close to home for Grant since he has family who live near West. When we heard about the firemen who died trying to put out the fire, Grant looked at me and said, “They will never come home to their kids.” His face was filled with grief because he knew the pain these children would experience for the rest of their lives.

Grant shared some of his thoughts today on the CBMW website. If you aren’t familiar with The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, I encourage you to check it out!

Read his article here and read more about the heart behind CBMW here.

I wrote this several days ago on a rainy afternoon…

It was Friday, two days before AudreyKate’s second birthday. As I got her ready for bed that evening, I noticed she felt a little warm. I took her temperature, and sure enough, she was running a fever.  I gave her some Tylenol and put her to bed, hoping she’d sleep off whatever it was her little body was fighting. The next morning, she was not any better, only worse. Later that afternoon, Grant and I went on a hunt for a clinic since our pediatrician’s office was closed for the weekend. It had been a very busy week, and Grant and I had planned on spending Saturday afternoon hanging out together. After getting turned away from the first clinic we tried because AudreyKate was under the age of two (she was ONE day shy of turning two!), we finally found a Walgreens clinic. AudreyKate cried hysterically as the doctor checked her ears and throat. The doctor told us that AudreyKate had a double ear infection and a sore throat, and sent us home with an antibiotic. Once Grant and I got both the girls to bed that evening, we sat down and sighed. This was not what we had planned for our Saturday. I didn’t know it at the moment, but the whole weekend would be a very sleepless one for me as I spent hours rocking, singing, and snuggling with my toddler who was even too sick to eat her birthday cake.

Life is made up of these kinds of moments, and motherhood is filled with them. Moments when things do not go as planned or as expected. Sometimes it’s a small thing like an ear infection, while other times its something much more serious. Maybe its dealing with disappointment over something that we hoped and prayed would happen, but instead God closes the door. These are moments where discouragement can loom big and joyfulness seems far off.

I am currently taking a class for seminary wives at Southern Seminary, and my professor, Dr. Plummer, recently said, “The things we often think are holding us back are pushing us forward.” He was speaking in regards to our spiritual lives. Sometimes we think if that “one thing” would just go away or be solved, we would be able to follow the Lord more fully or be set free from worrying over it. But, it is often that “one thing” God is using in our lives to push us forward spiritually and help us become more rooted in His Word. It is in the midst of difficulties, that we often find God’s Word so real to us its as if we can taste it.  Psalm 34:8 says, “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good, how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” Through His Word, God reminds us of His faithfulness and assures us that He is working out all things for our good and His glory. We need only to take refuge in Him. When we accept His will for our lives instead of our own, we find that instead of withering up under the weight of trials, we flourish.picstitch-4

This morning, I found myself driving to the pediatrician’s office once again. AudreyKate started running a fever yesterday, and I knew that she must have another ear infection. This will be her fourth one since Christmas Eve. It was pouring rain, and as I drove, the song, “As Long As You Are Glorified” started playing on my Pandora station.  As the wipers vigorously fought the rain off the windshield, I could not think of a more appropriate song to meditate on: “Shall I take from Your hand Your blessings, yet not welcome any pain? Shall I thank You for days of sunshine, yet grumble in days of rain?” It’s easy to wish for the sun when the raindrops are falling, but I always want to remember that God chose the rain along with the sun to cause good things to grow.

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Learning About Jesus

I’ve always loved children’s books. When I finished my student teaching in college, I graduated with a huge pile of them. I felt the need to restrain myself from buying children’s books for a long time, but now that AudreyKate is a toddler, I have an excuse!

I’m thrilled that AudreyKate is such a big book lover. I am especially thankful that she is already so interested in reading the “Byebull.” Grant and I read to her from one of her children’s Bibles every day. I thought I’d post a few of our current favorites here!

The Big Picture Story Bible by David HelmImage

This one just came in the mail today, so I haven’t read it with AudreyKate yet, but I can’t wait to!  Grant and I have heard great things about this Bible and Grant recently had the opportunity to hear David Helm preach (Grant then came home and ordered this Bible). What I love about this Bible is its focus on helping children understand that the Bible is one big book telling one big story – the story of Christ.

Read Aloud Bible Stories by Ella K. Lindvall

ImageI just love these books. We have the first two volumes (there are four). What I love about these is how they are written in short, storybook format. They are really beautifully written and fun to read. The only thing about them is that Jesus’ face is never pictured. I guess the illustrator thought it would be better to leave Jesus’ face out of it so little kids wouldn’t think Jesus looked a certain way. However, I think it’s a little difficult at times when I’m trying to explain Jesus to AudreyKate and I’m having to point to the back of his head. These are awesome books though and I plan on purchasing the other volumes.

God’s Story for Me Bible Storybook: 104 Favorite Bible Stories for ChildrenImage

This one is more of a traditional children’s Bible that my parents gave AudreyKate for Christmas. What I really like about it is that it’s on a toddler level. I love The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones, but it’s really over her head at this point. This Bible is also gentle and simple in its language while staying true to the story. Grant reads to AudreyKate from this Bible every night and they are working their way through the whole Bible. This is also AudreyKate’s favorite book to “read” during her independent reading time every day.

I’m so thankful that there are a variety of children’s resources available that are biblically sound! And I’m having fun learning the stories of God like a kid all over again.

For a more complete list of age-approriate and theologically sound children’s Bibles, I would encourage you to check out this list.*

“I know you are looking for Jesus. He’s not here. He’s not dead anymore. Go tell His friends. Jesus is alive.” – the angel, Vol. II of the Read~Aloud Bible Stories

*I trust this list (put together w/the help of one of Grant’s profs who is a professor of N.T. Interpretation), though as a parent, I always want to be immersed in the Scripture myself so that I am able to discern if the accurate intent of the passage/story is being conveyed.

I looked at my phone in shock as I tried to comprehend Grant’s text message.

GraceAnna, there’s been a shooting. It’s bad. At an elementary school.

I was in the middle of eating chicken fingers and waffle fries with my nephews and nieces in Atlanta. I had just surprised them by my visit. I hadn’t seen them in months. There was lots of hugging and kissing and interrupting as we were reunited.

When I read Grant’s message, I didn’t know how to process it. There were little children all around me. Joyful faces. Laughter. Hugs.

Just moments later, my brother whispered the same thing to my sister-in-law and me. He spoke in vague terms, not wanting the older children to know what he was talking about.

Surely, there hadn’t been a shooting at a school? Surely, children hadn’t died? This couldn’t have happened. How could this happen? What did it mean?

I didn’t want to know what it meant. I didn’t want to believe it was true.

As the day unfolded, a dark cloud hung over my visit with my nieces and nephews. Their laughter and sweet voices sent a pain through my heart as I began to understand the evil that took place earlier that day.

My mind immediately went back to my days of student teaching in college. I taught kindergarten and first grade. Those children were precious to me. I can still see their faces and hear their sweet voices that so often said, “I love you, Miss Broggi!”

Children who were so impressionable, eager to learn, and who beamed when praised.

As Dec. 14 came to a close, and I finally found some time to be alone without little eyes and ears nearby, I read the details of the shooting on my laptop. Tears streamed down my face as I pictured the faces of those children in their last moments of life. Were they scared? Did they know what was about to happen? Did they see the others?

As I sat alone, I began to feel the darkness pressing into my soul. As a mother, there is nothing more frightening than imagining harm befalling your children. They are vulnerable and helpless. Good mothers and fathers want to do everything in their power to protect their children from harm.

My worst nightmare is that something will happen to one of my little girls and I won’t be able to save them from it.

I wanted to imagine that help had come to Sandy Hook. I wanted to pretend that a hero had arrived and was able to stop the villain before he acted.

But no one had been able to stop it from happening.

It happened in all of its gruesome horror. And now there are parents whose son or daughter will never come home. Empty beds. Sweet faces frozen in childhood. Broken hearts beyond imagine.

I cannot imagine a more painful loss in this world than having to say good-bye to a child.

As I tried to process it in the days that followed, I was overcome by how dark things felt and seemed. Death is such a horrible thing. It’s unnatural. It’s not a part of how God originally made the world. It’s a result of sin, as the book of Genesis clearly describes.

But thankfully, God did not leave us in the darkness. I was comforted greatly by several passages from John 1:

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (vs. 5)

“The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (vs.9-13)

This world is a dark place that has been marred by sin. And yet, God entered into it to save us. Never did I understand that so deeply as I did this past Christmas. The words, “Joy to the world, the Lord has come!” caused me to rejoice in a brand new way.

But the thing about the darkness, is that the light shines so much brighter in it.

10 days after the Sandy Hook shooting, I attended a Christmas Eve service at the church I grew up in where my dad is pastor. It felt like everyone was grieving that night. As we lit our candles, the dark sanctuary slowly went from dark to light. picstitch-1

I listened to my dad’s words as he held up his candle,

“God’s called you to be the light of the world. Men don’t put a lamp under a basket, but they set it up high, so that all in the room can benefit from its light. This is a day, more than ever, in America and in our world, a world of increasing darkness, where we need to be holding our lights high. So if you know Christ as your Savior, I want to encourage you as you light your candle, to make a prayer in your heart that in this upcoming year God would use you to be a light in the midst of darkness.”

As I have reflected on that service over the past couple months, I have realized that is it going to take great courage to shine. It’s going to take godly and unwavering boldness that finds its origin in God’s Word.

It’s not simply helpful to be a light, it is necessary. We must point those around us to the hope of the Gospel. We must point them to the only One who can save them from darkness.

As a young mother, I want to be courageous when it comes to raising my children. I want to anchor my mothering in the truth of God’s Word. I want to recognize that every day is an opportunity to build into my children’s lives and is truly a gift.

There are things beyond my control. I may wake up one day to find out something terrible has happened and there was nothing I could do about it.

But one thing I know and cling to with all my heart is that there is a God who sent His Son into the darkness. And that Son bore the gruesome darkness of sin so that those who put their trust in Him can be forgiven.

The light shines in the darkness...

One day, when my little girls see and feel the darkness, I want them to know that they don’t have to be afraid because someone did come to save them.

Someone who is stronger than the bad guys.

I want them to turn to the true light.

And hopefully, I will have shown them where to find it.

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The Dock

I love the memories I have of growing up in the Lowcountry. There are so many special things about this area. I wrote a piece for Eat Sleep Play Beaufort on one of the reasons why I enjoyed growing up here.

My friend, Mrs. Gaye Spann, recently put her love for the Lowcountry best, “There’s just so much sky and nature here. I just can’t get enough of the sky.”

Here’s the link!

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A Father’s Legacy

For Mother’s Day, I wrote a piece for a local magazine on lessons I learned from my mom. I was asked to write a similar article for Father’s Day.  I’m so thankful for my dad, and for Grant’s dads! God has been good to us.
Below is the piece I wrote for the magazine. You can view the online version here.
 
A Father’s Legacy
Every father makes an impression on his children, but not every father leaves a legacy. Between the two of us, my husband and I have three dads who have left lasting legacies in our lives. While our dads are different in many ways, each possess character qualities that set them apart as remarkable men, which in turn, make them extraordinary fathers.
Integrity & Character
My husband, Grant, was two years old when his dad, Kelly, died in a Marine Corps plane crash. His parents were stationed in Beaufort at the time, and his dad flew F-4 fighter jets. It was just an ordinary day when Grant’s mom, Susan, kissed her husband good-bye when he left for work that morning.  She didn’t know she was kissing Kelly good-bye for the last time. Later that day, during a routine exercise, two jets lost sight of each other in mid-air and collided.  Two of the four pilots survived. But two of them, including Grant’s dad, lost their lives. One moment, my husband had a father, and the next moment, he did not. It would seem that Grant wouldn’t remember his dad very much since he was only a toddler when he died, but surprisingly, he has several fond memories of him. Grant remembers his dad chasing him around their house and arranging for the fire truck on Laurel Bay to visit for his two-year-old birthday party. Although Grant didn’t understand the details that took his dad’s life, he remembers crying day after day when he slowly came to realize that he didn’t have a daddy anymore. Even more than what Grant remembers about his dad, it’s what he’s been told about Kelly that has shaped Grant into the man and father that he is today.  Grant’s mom shared with him the type of man Kelly was, and the kind of man Grant needed to grow up to be.  One of the stories she shared with him about his dad helped guide Grant through his growing up years. One weekend, Kelly’s squadron had a mandatory function at a beach house. The pilots were told not to bring their wives because they would be receiving their call signs. When Kelly arrived home to Grant’s mom after the weekend was over, he was noticeably upset. Susan asked him what was wrong. Kelly went on to explain that the function turned wild, and strippers were brought to the party. Kelly told Susan that he couldn’t leave since it was a mandatory function, so he sat in a corner of the room all evening with his hand over his eyes. “Seriously… that’s what you did?” Susan asked, dumbfounded that he was able to do that in a crowded party faced with much temptation. “Yes,” Kelly replied. After Kelly’s death, someone gave Grant’s mom a photograph taken of Kelly during that function. While you can’t see much, Kelly is visible in the back of the room, his hand over his eyes. That photograph sat on Grant’s desk all throughout high school. And now it sits on his bedroom dresser in our home. It’s a reminder to him to stand for what is good and right and true no matter what, just like his dad did. Even though Kelly has been dead for over 25 years, he left a legacy that continues to impact not only my husband, but me as well.
 
Compassion & Love
When Grant’s dad died, a young Marine Officer who had known Kelly, was deeply grieved over Kelly’s tragic death. His heart immediately went out to Grant and Susan. He prayed that God would provide a new father for Grant and comfort Susan in the days ahead. What he didn’t know was that one day he would be the answer to his own prayer. Four years later, he married Grant’s mom. Grant’s new dad, Preston, loved Grant like his own son. Grant immediately started calling him “daddy” without hesitation. “I was just so happy to have a dad again,” Grant explains, recalling those years. Even though Preston loved Grant as his own flesh and blood, he encouraged Grant to keep his dad’s last name. Preston thought it was important for Grant to carry on Kelly’s name and legacy. He wanted to honor the sacred place Grant would always hold in his heart for his first dad. Preston wasn’t in competition for Grant’s love or affection. He had a genuine love and compassion for Grant and his mom. He wanted to honor all that had happened in the past as well as help shape Grant into the man he needed to be in the future. Preston exhibited the true heart of a father; one filled with a protective and sacrificial love. When Grant talks about all that his dad, Preston, did for him, his eyes fill with tears, “He did so much that he didn’t have to do.” When Preston married Susan, he wasn’t merely beginning a new family; he was marrying into one that had already begun. Stepping into a family that has already been established is not an easy task. Yet Preston was willing to continue the legacy that Kelly started, and in doing so, he is leaving one in Grant’s life that will never be forgotten.
 
Faithfulness & Endurance
I was four years old when my dad became a pastor. That’s what I’ve always known him to be. When I was little, I didn’t really understand all that went into his calling to pastoral ministry. Now that I’m an adult, it’s amazing to see how faithful my dad has been to preach the Bible week in and week out for so many years, even when it’s not popular. I’ve heard my dad say numerous times, “The Christian life is not a fifty yard dash, it’s a marathon.” My dad taught me that running well is not necessarily about how I start, but instead, how I finish. Even more than my dad’s faithfulness to ministry, his faithfulness as a husband and a father has impacted me the most. My dad has been faithful to my mom for the thirty-two years they have been married. Not only is he committed to her, I know that he loves her more than anyone else in this world. As a child, I never once had to worry about whether or not my parents would stay married. Their commitment to one another created stability that grounded me. Even as a little girl, I knew I wanted to marry a man who would love me as much as my dad loved my mom. When I became engaged to Grant, numerous people told me, “Wow, he reminds me of your dad!” At first, I said, “Really?” And then I recognized how right they were. My dad set a standard for the type of man I wanted to marry. Grant is like my dad in many ways, and that’s one of the reasons why I love him so much. My dad imparted a legacy of faithfulness that dramatically affects the way my life is today.
As this Father’s Day approaches, who are the men in your life who have been true fathers to you? Maybe your dad has passed away, but he has left a legacy in your life that you will never forget. Maybe your dad is someone who took you in and loved you as his own when he didn’t have to. Or maybe your dad is someone that has shown you by his life and words what it means to live a life of faithfulness. Our world needs men of integrity, men of compassion, and men of faithfulness. Any father can leave an impression on his children; but it takes someone special to leave a legacy.
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Lessons From My Mother

Sometimes it’s hard to know exactly how to say thank you on Mother’s Day. At least I often find it hard to express how much I appreciate all that my mom has done for me and continues to do.

I’m thankful that this year I was able to write something small in honor of my mom and for all the moms out there who pour their heart and soul into mothering.

Happy Mother’s Day, mom! I love you!

Lessons From My Mother

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Practical Tips for Mothers

Yesterday, at Woman’s Life (our church’s women’s ministry), my mom gave a message on God’s Heart for Children. This week was Part 2 and the focus was practical. Last time, my mom’s message was an in-depth look at how God wired us as women to view children and how we need to also adopt God’s view of children.

Both of these talks will be available soon on www.mfth.org.

I thought my mom’s outline for the talk was really helpful so I thought I’d share it. I found it to be such a great reminder!

The sections below contains helpful tips for mothers of children in each stage. This in no way even begins to fully touch on all that was covered yesterday, so you’ll just have to listen to the talks when they are posted!

Newborns & Babies
1. Remember the R word: Relax.
2. Remember Who chose you to be a mother.
3. Savor the moments when no one can soothe your baby but you.
4. Smile, even when you’re tired.
5. Remember that God is in control.
6. Pray.


Toddlers and Preschoolers 
1. Remember the R word: Relax.

2. Play patti-cake. Build blocks. Make cookies. Play tag.
3. Give lots of hugs. Read books. Do chores.
4. Let them help you.
5. Answer their questions.
6. Welcome them into your home.
7. Pray.


Adolescents
1. Remember the R word: Relax.
2. Talk to them about things that interest them.
3. Ask them questions and for their opinion.
4. Laugh at the endless jokes & riddles they will discover for the first time.
5. Tell them about yourself when you were their age.
6. Play games with them even when you don’t feel like it.
7. Be the authority. Give lots of hugs.
8. Pray.

Teens
1. Remember the R word: Relax.
2. Serve lots of food (for active boys).
3. Discuss world events from a Biblical worldview. Don’t be afraid to say what you believe.
4. Get into their world and enjoy their company.
5. Continue with hugs and lots of food.
6. Respect their thoughts.
7. Let them know they are a needed member of the family. Give them meaningful work.
8. Give lots of hugs.
9. Pray.

Adult Children
1. Respect your children as the parents of their own children.
2. Don’t meddle; let them ask for your advice.
3. Look for ways to encourage them.
4. Let them know you are available to help.
5. Ask for forgiveness when necessary.
6. Give hugs.
7. Affirm their decisions.
8. Wait patiently (pray & fast) for a wayward child.
9. Tell them you love them.

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His Kids {a story of hope}

I found our snapshot camera last night and I realized that I never uploaded the pictures from Grant’s Ukraine trip (from November) to our computer! I finally did that today! Of all the many pictures that Grant took (I mean all 10 pictures that Grant took 🙂 ), I especially loved the ones he took with some of the boys from our church’s orphanage, His Kids.

I recently had the opportunity to write an article about the orphanage for a local magazine. It was so neat learning more about His Kids and the impact this ministry has had in the lives of these children. I’m also going to be writing a more extensive article for our church’s newsletter at the end of the month, so you can also be on the lookout for that.

I thought I would share the article here for those who can’t pick up a hard copy. Also, if you are looking for a ministry to prayerfully or financially support, consider investing in this one!

Here is the article, and Grant’s pictures!

His Kids

When Vince Smith first visited the country of Ukraine over a decade ago, the purpose of his trip had nothing to do with orphans. He was on a mission trip with Community Bible Church of Beaufort, who partnered with a church in the Ukraine to help with the training of local pastors. But as Vince walked the city streets and villages of Ukraine, he was overcome with shock and sadness at the vast amount of orphaned children.
Ukraine has over 100,000 orphans, and only 10% of these orphans are orphaned due to the death of a parent; the rest are social orphans – due to alcoholism, abandonment, or imprisonment of parents. Many of these have experienced abuse and violence from parents who were drug addicts or alcoholics. Every year at least 2,000 mothers abandon their babies in maternity hospitals.  Between 6,000 and 7,000 children are abandoned at an older age or removed from homes due to crime or neglect. Orphans typically grow up in large state-run homes, which may house over 200 children. Children usually graduate from these institutions between 15 and 16 years old and are turned out, unprepared for life outside the home. About 10% of them will commit suicide after leaving the orphanage before their 18th birthday. That 60% of the girls will end up in prostitution in Europe and 70% of boys will enter a life of crime is a sobering statistic.  Many children run away from these homes, preferring to live on the street. They are referred to as, “street kids.” Many die young from violence or end up in prison.
Vince Smith shared, “When I left Ukraine, I couldn’t help but leave feeling grieved and distressed about these orphans. I knew had to do something. I just kept thinking about how Jesus said, ‘to whom much is given, much is required.’  And when you read the Bible, you find that orphan ministry is at the center of God’s heart. In James 1:27, the Scripture says that ministering to orphans is ‘pure’ and ‘undefiled.’ And the reason ministering to orphans is pure, is because they can’t give back.”
It was this experience years ago that planted the seeds for His Kids, a Christian orphanage and adoption ministry that the Smith family started through the support and partnership of Community Bible Church and the Evangelical Baptist Church of Vinnitsa, Ukraine.
The ultimate goal of His Kids is to place children in a nurturing and loving adoptive home where they can understand the love that Jesus Christ has for them. “His Kids is all about double adoption,”Vince explained. The ministry’s slogan is, “Adopted by Him, Adopted by You.”
His Kids goes beyond meeting the physical and medical needs of orphans. His Kids seeks to make every child feel like they belong. When the Vinnitsa Christian Orphanage was founded in 2004 as a part of the His Kids ministry, the orphan children dipped their hands in colored paint and put their handprints on the orphanage wall. “We wanted these kids to know that this home was theirs and that each one of them is unique and that their life has value,” Vince explained.
As the orphanage has grown over the years (housing 46 children), so has the rate of adoptions. Both American and Ukrainian families have adopted children who have been placed in the Christian orphanage founded by His Kids.
“Just as each child is different, each adoption looks differently. We try to match up children with the right families (whether locally or globally) and we mentor those families every step of the way,” Vince said. His Kids not only ministers to Ukrainian children, but Beaufort children as well. His Kids partners with the Department of Social Services and helps them place children in loving foster homes.
But adoption and foster care aren’t the only ways that American families can get involved with the ministry of His Kids. Families can sponsor a Ukrainian child for just $30 a month ($1/per day). Many Ukrainian families would like to adopt, but they simply cannot afford to feed another child. Vince explained, “If the financial burden is lifted, many families are able to adopt because that is the only thing holding them back.”
“Sponsoring a child is transformational for so many families,” Vince continued, “It’s been transformational for our family. My kids have been going with me to the Ukraine since we started the ministry and it has affected all of us. Our entire family has invested our lives in His Kids.”
Vince and his wife, Cindy, have three children: Caleb (20), Braden (17), and Ale’ Grace (14).  Ale’ Grace described the effect of the orphan ministry in her life, “It’s completely changed my perspective on orphans in general. It’s made me realize how much I have and now I want to do something for these kids.” Because of the impact of His Kids, Caleb, who is a student at the University of South Carolina, wants to attend law school after college and study international law so that one day he can help with the legal side of adoptions.
A change in perspective has been a recurring theme for many families who have gotten involved with the ministry of His Kids. Vince put it like this, “When families embrace orphans in any way, it takes the focus off of ourselves and shifts it to others. I’ve seen it bring families together as they write letters to orphans and post his or her picture on their refrigerator and pray for that child as a family. The impact that it makes is far-reaching.”
His Kids has not only brought families closer, it’s brought members of the community together as well. Vince shared the story of a young boy named Edik who came into contact with the ministry of His Kids. Edik had an infection in his leg that the medical personnel who were attending him could not identify. They were going to amputate his leg. When Vince heard about Edik’s predicament, he had them send Edik’s medical files to Beaufort. Local doctors examined Edik’s files, identified the infection in his leg, and sent Edik the antibiotic he needed to be healed. Edik’s leg was saved.
Edik’s story is just one of many stories of children whose lives have been forever touched through the ministry of His Kids. On a recent visit to the Vinnitsa Christian Orphanage, Vince asked the children what they wanted to be when they grew up. Some children said they wanted to be doctors, others said teachers, dads & moms, missionaries, or pastors. But one child said, “I want to do what you do. I want to help kids like us.”
His Kids has helped foster hope in the lives of orphans who didn’t seem to have any.
The Smith family, along with many other families (both American and Ukrainian), have made a difference in the lives of children who can’t give anything back. Vince couldn’t have said it any better, “When you see one life impacted and changed, it’s worth everything.”
{Vince Smith is the Pastor of Missions at Community Bible Church. To learn more about the ministry of His Kids and how you can get involved, visit hiskidscare.com All Ukraine orphan statistics obtained from World Orphan Project Inc.}
 
 
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Texas Heart Part 35 – {Full Circle}

I grasped my husband’s hand as we got into the antique car that was waiting for us outside the church to take us to the reception. Grant closed the heavy door and leaned in to kiss me. I still couldn’t believe we were married.
I never imagined it would be him. I mean, I never knew that it was Grant that God had for me. If I had only known, it would have saved so much worry!
It was only two years before that I had spent the summer on a “Summer Project” with Cru in Santa Cruz, California.

One particular morning, I was walking along the breathtaking California coastline with my Bible study leader, Hannah.
As we walked and talked, our conversation turned toward Clemson. Hannah had attended Clemson too and she started asking me why I wasn’t dating anyone.
“What about so-and-so?” She asked. “Why don’t you date him? He’s an awesome guy.”
“I know,” I responded. “I don’t think he likes me though.”
“Okay, well what about so-and-so?” She continued as she named off another friend.
“I don’t know,” I went on. “It just doesn’t seem right.”
She continued on through a list of different godly guys that we both knew.
“I don’t know, Hannah. I just feel like God is saying no. I don’t know what He’s trying to tell me, but I just feel like He wants me to wait.”
I’ll never forget how Hannah responded. “Well, God must have someone great in mind for you, GraceAnna.”
I hope you’re right, I remember saying.
Grant put his arm around me in the backseat of the car. Now it was all a reality. God had been calling me to wait for His perfect timing. All along, He had Grant in mind for me.
And now I was Mrs. Castleberry. I remembered the first time I had said Grant’s last name aloud when I was vacationing with my family at Fripp Island. I had loved the way his name rolled off my tongue. It was different and it had a masculine and yet feminine sound to it. I liked it. Now it was my own.
As the old car pulled into Pinckney Retreat, I looked out the window. I couldn’t believe how beautiful everything looked.
~
Grant and I mingled with our guests under the canopy of live oak trees. We tried to talk to everyone. We felt so overwhelmed with gratitude to our friends and family who had come to celebrate with us.
Grant’s Grammie who was suffering from cancer had come all the way from Texas.
My entire Duke Bible study had driven down from North Carolina.
Grant’s friends, the Leonards, had driven up from Florida.
Some of my Clemson friends had made the drive down from the upstate.
A group of Grant’s Texas Aggie buddies had flown in for the weekend.
And then their were our Beaufort friends who were there but they were serving. They had spent days planning just so that we could enjoy this special time – friends like the Gays who headed up the Lowcountry food, and my friend Kelly who put together the flowers, and Casey who played Josh Turner, George Strait, and old hymns on his guitar during the reception.
Everything was just perfect, and then I felt the drops of rain.
I had prayed so hard for God to give us beautiful weather on our wedding day. After all, it’s what every bride wants.
When I first felt the raindrops, I was talking to someone. I tried to keep talking and ignore the wetness I was beginning to feel pattering on my arms. Perhaps if I ignored the raindrops then they wouldn’t really be real?
I watched out of the corner of my eye as guests began to gather underneath the giant live oak trees and the white tents.
Oh no! How is this happening? I thought frantically. Everything will be ruined!
Then I saw my brother, Grant, walk toward me. He was holding a giant umbrella. He came and stood next to me as if nothing odd was happening. He didn’t say a word.
As he stood next to me, I suddenly realized that everything was going to be okay.

I was married. The day had been wonderful and the rain couldn’t change that. There was nothing to worry about.
As the rain fell, it brought something unexpected. It brought a cooling breeze that drove away the August heat and made everything feel more pleasant.
And just as soon as the rain had arrived, it was gone.
~
My dad’s voice gathered everyone around the old porch of the Pinckney Retreat home. He thanked everyone for coming and then announced that there were some people who wanted to share a few words.

To my surprise, all four of my brothers gave speeches. They shared childhood stories of us growing up together. They made jokes about my new husband. They made me laugh hysterically and they made me cry. I felt like I was constantly switching between smiles and tears.
I was crying not just because it was so special that they were sharing, but also because I couldn’t believe I married a guy that was like them in so many ways.

When the speeches were over, Grant took my hand and led me to the dance floor for our first dance.

Tis’ So Sweet to Trust in Jesus began to play as Grant started dancing with me. He gently led me as we moved across the old cobblestone bricks.
I felt a little uncomfortable knowing that everyone was staring at us, but Grant didn’t seem to mind. He held me gently, yet firmly. “Just follow my lead,” he reminded me. Dancing came so naturally to him and soon I began to relax as I remembered to just follow him.

As we danced, I realized that this was the beginning of so many things. This day was not the “end” of me trusting the Lord. Grant was not my ultimate goal that I had spent my whole life waiting for or the one who I had placed my hope in.

Yes, God had been abundantly good in bringing Grant into my life. But this was just one of many lessons. Just as God had called me to trust Him in the area of a future husband, He would call me to trust Him every day for the rest of my life.

This day would be a day that I could look back on and remember God’s faithfulness. It would be a monument in my life that I could call to mind when I needed to remind myself that the God who I follow is a God who takes notice of everything. He is a God who cares. He is a God who is concerned about His glory.

This day was just one day in the story that God had been weaving all along. I would have never known so long ago when I had first seen Grant’s photograph in the radio station, that the little blonde headed boy in the picture would one day be my husband. I would have never known that I would marry a Texas Aggie and a Marine Officer. I would have never known that a plane crash that happened when I was just a year old would affect me so greatly and that it would be the factor that brought Grant to visit Beaufort when he was in high school.

I didn’t know the big picture. And while I was beginning to see things that I hadn’t seen before, this was only the start.
~

“GraceAnna, look!” My mom came up to me sometime after we had cut the cake.

I turned in the direction that she was pointing, and there, arching over the salt marsh, was a rainbow.

Grant came up behind me and grabbed my hand.

“Come on! Let’s go out on the dock.”

We headed toward the water’s edge where everyone was gathering to admire the giant bow in the sky.
I didn’t notice at first, but then I realized it was a double rainbow.

Grant, I can’t believe God gave us a rainbow! A double rainbow! My heart filled with joy. 

I thought about the very first rainbow that we know of which is recorded in the book of Genesis. It appeared after God’s worldwide judgment of sin. 

The earth must have felt so barren and so different after the flood. But as Noah and his family stepped off the ark, they were greeted with a bow of colors in the sky. God was revealing to Noah and his family something about who He was. He was showing them that even in the cloud, He is there. That though the rains may come as a result of our sinful and broken world, He promises grace to those who belong to Him.


I hadn’t wanted it to rain that day. But now I realized why God had brought the rain. He was demonstrating that the way He does things is often the opposite way that we think they should happen. That He so often allows the rain, so that He can show us His glory and His grace in a way that we would have never seen it before.

My eyes filled with tears.  I felt like this rainbow was God’s special wedding gift to us. 

I felt like God was teaching me a lesson about who He is and who He will always be. 

As I gazed at the beautiful array of colors that arched as far as I could see, I felt like He was near.  And I knew, that no matter what the future held for us, He promised His grace to bring us through.

“GraceAnna,” Grant said to me as we stood on the dock staring out at the rainbow, “Let’s always follow hard after the Lord all the days of our lives.”

I took Grant’s hand in mine. “Yes, let’s.”


The End