Miracle of Her Heart

We were having dinner out 2 nights ago with our kids. It was a nice time after work and everything was fine. Suddenly, Noelle started choking, her face got red, her eyes were distressed and Jamie said, "Brian, she's choking!" I was sitting next to her so I started fishing in her mouth for the food. However it was a stringy piece of food and it broke off in bits and stayed buried in her throat. I frantically was sweeping the back of her throat although Noelle slightly fought me in the process. I urgently said, "Noelle, you are choking..daddy is helping you get the food out!"

In a split second out of the corner of my eye I saw Maddie turned to the side wall kind of burying her head and I was irritated. She tends to be very uncomfortable around medical-type situations and certain other situations, I can't completely describe the pattern to you. I was frustrated with her for tuning-out in this way for some reason although now if I think about it of course she would be scared and disengage from the situation. Oh well, I have a lot of growing to do, I admit it.

Anyway, Noelle suddenly choked in a different way, a piece came out and I wondered if she was out of danger so I asked her to say something. (if someone is choking but they can speak it may still be somewhat of an issue but it shows they can get air) She said something and we could tell that the last piece had become disloged.

We were so relieved and explained to Noelle, "We have to be careful when we eat. That is called choking, that is why we have to take smaller bites and chew it up good," etc, etc.

I didn't notice Maddie whispering to Jamie during my coaching of Noelle. After I was done with the coaching I turned on Maddie slightly irritated and said, "Maddie, why did you turn away like that when your sister was choking." Jamie said, "Brian, Maddie has something to tell you." I said, "Ok, what is it." Maddie said, "When Noelle was choking I prayed."

I was stunned. Oh my gosh, as Jamie and I were wild-eyed with fear Maddie turned her head away from the real trauma of the situation, turned her heart to God and called on him for help. (I am so touched while writing this) I praised Maddie up and down and held her hand across the table and squeezed it and shook it over and over and told her how wonderful that was and how proud I was of her.

I said, "Maddie, today you fulfilled your name before the Lord! Your name means "Strong Tower." (she is well aware of the meaning of her name and if you have followed our family at all you remember some time ago a challenge that came to us around that topic) I said, your Bible verse that goes along with your name is, "The name of the Lord is a Strong Tower, the righteous run into it and are saved." I said, "You ran to the Lord Maddie, that is so amazing, we are so proud of you!" She just beamed and beamed over this.

Honestly, the truth is the Lord DID answer Maddie's prayer- I was failing to fish that out of Noelle's throat and I don't have any reason why it suddenly sprang out like that. So, I credit the Lord with answering Maddie's prayer which is a wonderful miracle but the most important miracle here is far more important.

The miracle of her heart is the miracle I care about here. I so want my children to call upon the Lord in their time of need- and at all times for that matter. This miracle inside of my sweet six year old daughter is one that, with God's help, I will never stop remembering with thankfulness to God.

Noelle's prayer plus a little update

Last night everyone was in the family bed right to talk, laugh, and then say our prayers. We don't do this every night but have a few times lately. Its a neat bonding time.

Well tonight, Noelle wanted to pray so we let her. She proceeded to pray for everyone's feet in the entire extended family which is an ongoing funny thing she does. After that she prayed something serious. She said, "God I give my heart back to you." That was so sweet and shocking to hear out of her and such a blessing! That is all we want for them- to know, love, and walk with the Lord.

Yesterday, Maddie had her first cheerleading performance with the Crusaders, a neat Christian-based Cheerleading group with multiple teams of all ages. Maddie's group, "The Halos" went second and it was neat. They did a dance, 2 cheers, and 2 special group-based Cheer/lifting poses. It all worked out well and she did great. Well, as part of this there was also a tumbling exercise which involved doing a cartwheel. Maddie did AWESOME, she looked like a thirteen-year old who had been training since she was six years old! Then later every girl and boy in the Crusaders got to do an individual tumbling "show-off" and Maddie did her cart-wheel. You should have seen her legs seem to defy gravity like a fast-spinning ferris wheel. It was SHOCKING. She is incredible! Thank you Lord for blessing her and also keeping her and all of the girls safe!