Thankful Thursday ~ Protection

Welcome back to another Thankful Thursday!

Genesis 50:20
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. (KJ)

Today, I am so thankful for God's protection! It has been nearly one year ago (March 14th) that my son, Brandon escaped death in a terrible car wreck in Atlanta, GA, just after the tornado hit downtown.

As most of you know because I have blogged about it many times, Brandon is not living a life for Christ and hasn't for many years. Our relationship has been very strained over a period of about 3 years from the time he had graduated high school and left home. There was a period of about 6 months (right after graduation in '04) that I didn't know whether he was dead or alive. I had no way of contacting him, didn't know where he lived, whether he was in jail or out...nothing.

All I could do was to pray. God answered those prayers and Brandon called Tyler on his birthday in '05...6 months after my last contact with him.

From that point on, we began to "try" to restore our relationship but it was very strained due to the choices he was making in his life. His choices were in complete contraction with the way that he was raised and God's word.

This breaks a mother's heart to see her child in total rebellion and on a path of self-destruction. God had been laying Brandon on my heart so heavily...more than normal during the year of '07 to March '08. It was my prayer that God would do whatever it takes to turn Brandon's life around...all I asked is that he sustained his life and beyond that "Lord, break him".

Roger and I had taken Tyler to meet up with the Fine Arts group from church that Friday night and decided to spend the night in Little Rock...we were too tired to drive all the way home.

As we lay in bed, well after midnight, I saw the news about a tornado hitting downtown Atlanta. Fear griped my heart as my mind began to race because I knew that Brandon worked in downtown Atlanta and usually worked the late shift.

I began to pray and try to call Brandon on his cell phone and send multiple text messages. No answer, no reply to my text messages either. This went on for hours with no response.

I didn't get much sleep that night because I just kept praying over Brandon. Praying for his protection, his safety and where he would spend eternity.

We got up the next morning and were in the middle of leaving the hotel when I received a call on my cell phone from Brandon's friend, Jason's aunt. She told me that Brandon and Jason had been in a terrible car wreck just before 2 AM and he was in ICU at Grady Memorial (trauma center) in Atlanta. She began to list all of his injuries and tell me the details of their wreck.

I had began praying fervently for Brandon around midnight after hearing the news of the tornado damage. Brandon didn't have his wreck until about 1:30 AM. Remember, Genesis 50:20 at the top of this post...God intervened!

I had to drive home from Little Rock, get packed and get back in the car for another 7 hour drive to Atlanta...by myself. Needless to say, I used this time to pray, to ask others to pray and to give Satan a piece of my mind. Thank goodness, it was dark or the other drivers would have thought I was crazy because I was screaming and crying at the enemy of our souls.

John 10:10
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (NKJ)

God answered my prayers that night/morning because God had truly sustained his life. In all reality, Brandon should have died that night.

I am so thankful that God hears our prayers, cries, pain, fears, anxiety and He steps in to intervene. I am so thankful for His hand of protection on Brandon that night and everyday for our family. God is so good.

I Peter 5:7
Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. (Amplified)

I will be posting more of this story and pictures on Sunday plus starting another giveaway for a wonderful book called " Everyday I Pray for My Teenager". This book is great for children of all ages, not just your teenagers. It uses the Word of God just like God intended it to be used...as a two-edged sword and incorporates it into very powerful prayers for every situation that you can think of for your child.

For more wonderful thankful hearts, visit at Lynn at Spirtually Unequal Marriage.

Have a wonderfully blessed day!