It’s been a rough month or so – I fell on a teaching trip to Florida at the end of March and broke both my feet! It happened at a really bad time: just before I was leaving for a month-long trip to Paris and London. It really wasn’t a trip that I could postpone or cancel – I was teaching scrapbook classes in Paris and also had sixteen ladies coming to London and Paris to go shopping and sight-seeing with me. I’d been planning these trips for a year, all our reservations were paid for, and my heart was set on going.
When something like this happens, the first thought is “Why, God?” but years of trusting in God’s plan and in His faithfulness gave me the assurance to know that He would work things out. A friend sent me Deuteronomy 31:8, “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” She said she would be praying this verse for me every day during my trip. That gave me so much comfort!
Before I left on my trip, I stamped the Eiffel Tower and then brought a few stamps and stickers with me to use in my Bible. Taking the time to think through the words of that verse and the phrases that are repeated in Deuteronomy 31 have helped them stick with me. Every time I’ve faced a difficult situation or the many obstacles that have come with traveling in a wheelchair, I’ve thought of the words that are in the margin – God has given me strength and courage – because HE never leaves me or forsakes me. HE goes before me.
One of the huge ways that God helped me was providing my daughter-in-law to come with me and push me around and help me with everything. I’m so thankful that she was able to join me here! What a blessing! He has provided the kindness of strangers to help along the way and worked out details in ways that I couldn’t have imagined.
Every verse that I’ve illustrated and meditated on has been pressed into my heart and mind, and when hard things like this injury happen, God brings the words and the images back to my mind to strengthen my faith and to remind me that He is faithful, that He is there, and that He’ll give me the strength to face anything with Him.
-Debby
Beautiful page and testimony!
I have been following you through your trips. What an amazing God. He has watched over you and kept you.
Auch, sounds painful to break both of your feet!
Love the soft colors of your page :)
Question- are you using the bibles you love or is there such a thing as a journaling bible? Thanks in advance