"The best time to trust God is when its hard"...

Thursday evening June 3rd I was driving home and listening to the Bible on my iPod. I was in Psalms as the narrator read, "He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions." (Ps 107:20) I remember hearing that verse right as I was getting close to the house. I was about to turn on our street when my wife Jamie called and asked me where I was. I told her I was essentially home and asked her why? She said, "Maddie (my 8.5 yr old daughter) has fallen hard in dress rehearsal and can't walk. I need you to come here right away because I can't carry her." Worried, I headed to the dance studio.

Maddie fell hard and awkwardly doing a dance move at her dress rehearsal for the Lifesong Dance Studio annual recital which is a very big deal. Lifesong rents and fills the local L.D. Bell High School performing arts center for 2 nights in a row. All of their Dance Companies, their performance group, and all of their dance classes of every kind perform their dances. A lot of money in costumes are spent by each family and many, many hours of practice are spent by dancers and their teachers. There are some dancers that probably spend more than 100 hours in a season training, practicing, learning, and performing - and it all leads up to recital night. Maddie lives and breathes her dance. She always loves to dance at home and loves dance practice. She is in Petite Dance Company this year and has done super. When Maddie fell we rushed her to the Baylor Grapevine Regional Medical Center because she could not walk. They x-rayed her foot and said it was broken- a "dancer's break" they called it. They said she could absolutely not dance at the recital on Tuesday. When the doctor told Maddie this she shrieked so loud it freaked all of us out. She screamed and screamed and said, "no, no" and would not believe it. It was the worst possible thing that could have happened to her from her perspective and she had never experienced grief and loss so suddenly, dramatically, and with so much finality.

Earlier when we were getting settled into our ER room a nurse came in that Jamie and I recognized. 3 years ago when Jamie had some pretty serious issues going on this nurse had been the one who took care of us in the ER. So, I greeted nurse "Jenny" when she came in and said she had been the one who had helped us 3 years ago. I told her what a difference she had made to us and how she even shared some spiritual insights with us that helped. She was really glad to hear that even though she didn't remember us personally.

Well, when Maddie was shrieking "no, no" in disbelief and shock at her terrible news nurse "Nurse Jenny" heard the shrieking down the hall, knew about our situation, stopped what she was doing and prayed. "Lord, please, please give me something to say to this little girl to help her." The Lord said, "well what have I told you". She then remembered Jeremiah 29:11 that says, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." She printed this out and came in to see my daughter. She told her the Lord had a word for her and shared with her how she had prayed and the Lord had given her this verse. Maddie calmed down somewhat at the presence of nurse Jenny though she was still in grief and shock.

We left the hospital in a wheelchair and with a big black leg boot and crutches- totally shocked and numb with grief for our daughter and our family. I kept trying to comfort Maddie with the verse nurse Jenny gave her and I kept trying to comfort myself with the verse on healing I had heard just moments before my wife called me with the news- I thought maybe, just maybe the Lord had been warning us - and had given us something to help us trust him.

My Facebook status 9:37am the next morning - Brian Howard Prayer requested: Our daughter has been practicing for a dance recital for maybe 9 months and she is in a competitive dance company as well. Last night at dress rehearsal for a Tues-Wed major recital she fell and broke her ankle. She will miss this recital and is totally devastated. Also, she has nationals in 3 wks which seems very at risk now too.

Jamie was walking around numb and in such grief for Maddie all day that she just didn't know what to say. We have a saying in our family, "The best time to trust God is when its hard." Jamie just kept repeating this to herself and hanging on to it throughout the day. Sometimes I guess we just have to make the mental decision to trust God even though everything around us - and even our own emotions and fears are against us. The next morning she took Maddie to the orthopedic surgeon for more x-rays, expert analysis, and a treatment plan.

My Facebook status 3:08pm - Brian Howard MADDIE'S LEG IS NOT BROKEN NOW!! Sports surgeon says she has a double-sprain. Maddie can do a couple of her dances on Tuesday. This is a miracle!!!! Thanks for ya'lls support and prayers! God is good!

Maddie kept her foot wrapped, elevated, and iced Fri, Sat, and Sun and by Monday she was able to dance in the final dress rehearsal - 7 dances. The surgeon saw her on Monday and said she was experiencing a miracle... we knew it and agreed. He released her from care at that time as well. She went on to dance her 7 dances again in the performance on Tues and Wed. I also got to do our daddy-daughter dance together on Tues and Wed which was one of the biggest highlights for me. It meant even more because of the gratitude I felt not just for the time and the memory with Maddie but because the Lord truly helped her- and our whole family.

I have been unable to fully express my thanks to the Lord on this. I really don't know how to do it. Every time I think about it I am lost for words. I know he can do anything but I don't know why he would choose to bless and help this family and our little girl with such a healing and blessing. He restored something that meant so much to our daughter and to our entire family and it is such a legacy for us from the Lord. This will be such a remembrance and praise for our family to the Lord for a long time. I really hope I never forget this and I hope my daughter lives in a state of thankfulness and faithfulness to the Lord due to this kindness he has done toward us.

Lord, may our Lifesong truly sing to you..