Trusting - I Won't Let You Go

Trusting

COLORADO - THE TRUSTING JOURNEY

The Trusting Journey has had many moments..................and.this one has been GREAT.  Gary and I have been spending the last few days relaxing in the Gracious Slopeside Retreat with European Charm, of Chamonix at Snowmass, Colorado.  We were here spending time with friends Ron and Christie in July of this year.  At that time it was difficult for me to walk short distances.  Eating was still VERY much a challenge, Gary spent the first day in Colorado in the Emergency Room at Aspen and then we received the heartbreaking news of JT Taylor's untimely death.

Coming back to Colorado this time has been like walking into a sanctuary of rest and restoration.  Our days have been spent with strolls among the Aspens shedding their golden leaves, golf, and reading.  Gary has also reclaimed his passion for painting.  While here, he has painted a beautiful skull that we will leave here in the Woodson's Condo.  

We have also taken lengthy challenging walks in the uneven terrain of Snowmass.  I feel better now as I write this blog than I have in months.  Each day we have walked at least 2.5 miles, however on Sunday, we got a little carried away and walked 3.5 miles.  It was so beautiful, we couldn't resist.  I have walked with an overwhelming sense of gratefulness.

Just before I left for vacation, Vickie Bryan knitted the beautiful purple and black Trusting Hat for me.  It has been perfect for my long walks!  Thank you Vickie and all of the women that knit for the Trusting Ministry.  They continue to provide the soft, warm hats for the women that we are ministering to through "TRUSTING".

Here I am at the top of the hill.  This is my Rocky stance!  Can you hear me humming the theme from the movie, "Rocky"?  Well I am!!!!  Look in the far distance above my right hand.  That's the Snowmass Golf Club.   We walked from there:)  AWESOME!   (yes, I was tired, but it was a good tired!)

A QUIET REMINDER FROM JESUS

On August 26, I went to Dallas to visit my girlfriends, Amanda and Diane.  Amanda is a hairdresser and has been doing my hair for about 20 years.  When I began to lose my hair, she came and gave me a "high and tight" haircut.  As my hair continued to fall out, it wasn't so dramatic for me.   My hair loss was very random.  It began to thin and fall out in patches.  However, from about the crown of my head in the back it all fell out.  I was totally bald in the back part of my head. So when my hair began to grow back, it was random.   My hair began to grow on top, but the back part of my head remained bald.   On one of my visits to the doctor, he told me that the back hair loss could very possibly be permanent damage from the radiation.    We continued to pray and trust for restoration!
By the time I went to visit Amanda, my hair had begun to grow and fill in.    She put highlights in it, shaped it up, and when she turned me around to look at it, she was crying and when I saw it, I started crying.   She was able to cut it and blend it into a VERY CUTE short  hairstyle.

  I WAS SO EXCITED!!  It was a day I will never forget...............................BUT DID I?

Yesterday, I had washed my hair and didn't fix it immediately, I just let it dry.  Then when I was ready to style it, I put the gel on it and started trying to get the back  to lay down, but all it would do was "flip".  (the back has more curl in it than the top does).  So I put more gel on it, put more water on it, blow dried it, but it still "flipped".  I was standing there looking at it and said, "oh my, I can't get it to stop "flipping" and that's when Jesus said, "it wasn't that long ago that you didn't have hair to flip."  I immediately said, "OH JESUS!!  I'm so sorry!   It's OK if it wants to "flip"!!   I just really DON'T GIVE A FLIP!

I AM GRATEFUL! 


Oh how quickly we can forget!  BUT I'M SO THANKFUL that Jesus loves me enough to remind me of His provision!

We were in Oklahoma City, when a young woman walked up to me and said "excuse me, I don't mean to offend you, but you are absolutely beautiful in your scarf.  Where did you get your scarf?"   It took me by surprise.  Then she said, "you have inspired me.  I am in my second week of treatment,and I am beginning to lose my hair.   I came today to shop for hats.  But seeing you today, I think I will shop for scarves instead."  I stood there visiting with this young woman, with tears in my eyes.  I thanked her for the compliment, showed her how to wrap a scarf, and she was on her way with her 7 year old daughter.

You see, at the time she gave me that compliment, I was very weak, I was very thin, and I did not feel very pretty.  I felt sick!  Certainly not beautiful.  But after this young woman left, I was gratfeul that my appearance had encouraged a young woman facing the loss of her beautiful hair.  

Today, I was in Dillards picking up a gift.  As I checked out, there were two young sales associates at the register.  One looked up and said "Your hair is so cute!  It's a pixie cut!"  I said "thank you, it's nice to have hair again" and she responded, in her innocence, "what do you mean?"  I told her that I had finished cancer treatment and this was my new haircut.  At that point she said "oh my gosh I am so sorry." (she thought she had offended me.)    I  laughed and told her that I really appreciated her compliment.  The other young woman standing there, said "wow, you aren't just beautiful, you are so fashionable."  At this point, I laughed out loud!  These two young women have no idea what their innocent and refreshing conversation did for me!     The memories of recent days are still so fresh,  it doesn't take much for me to be teary eyed.  As I walked away from that encounter with two young women I thanked God for His continued restoration of my body, my hair, and my strength.
Still TRUSTING!

The Morning of 9/11/11



Ten years ago today I sat in my living room with my son as we watched the events of 9/11 unfold.  In those brief moments I also witnessed the beginning of my son's destiny.  Although I did not know how profoundly affected our lives would be from the devestating attacks on our nation, I knew that something began to stir in his young heart.

Now 10 years later, on the morning of 9/11/11 I am awakened at pre-dawn by the very vivid sound of my son's voice saying, "Hey Mom"   It seemed so real!   I heard him and I saw him so clearly that I opened my eyes and I looked at the open door.    The enemy has tried to strike fear in the heart of our nation on this 10 year anniversary of 9/11, and now he tries to strike fear into the heart of this mother, whose son is deployed in Afghanastan, fighting this war on terrorism.  I have a choice, to embrace the fear or CHOOSE to believe the scripture that I pray over him daily,  Psalm 91......"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord He is my fortress and my refuge, my God in Him will I trust."

I DO TRUST!  I thank God for His faithfulness!! 

I will not fear the snare of the fowler or the deadly pestilence, for my God will cover him with His feathers and under His wing will he take refuge!

My God is faithful!!

Praying for all of the men and women who serve our nation.  For those who have lost their lives in this fight against terrorism, you will not be forgotten.  We lift your family and friends in prayer on this day of remembrance.

Still TRUSTING!!!

QUIET MY SPIRIT

DEMONSTRATE YOUR TRUST IN ME by sitting quietly in My Presence. Put aside all that is waiting to be done, and refuse to worry about anything. This sacred time together strengthens you and prepares you to face whatever the day will bring. By waiting with Me before you begin the day’s activities, you proclaim the reality of My living Presence. This act of faith—waiting before working—is noted in the spirit world, where your demonstration of trust weakens principalities and powers of darkness. (Jesus Calling by Sarah Young)

The predawn morning was absolutely beautiful! As I walked out to the bench for my quiet time in His presence, I couldn't help but think about the many strolls I took to this bench in the past several months. Although the path was the same, the feet that walked the path had a different step. I walked to the bench without the need to stop and rest. I walked to the bench without pain. I walked to the bench without someone holding on to me so I wouldn't fall. I walked to the bench this morning, GRATEFUL!!!

The Trusting Journey

In March of 2010, I was invited to serve on the National Women’s Task Force. Arlene Allen, the National Director at that time, introduced the upcoming theme for the year 2011 – Quiet Influence. Little did I know at the time, that the theme I worked on with this awesome team of women from across the nation, would resonate in my spirit and would impact my life in such a powerful way.

In November, 2010, I was advised by my surgeon that the swollen lymph gland in my neck should be removed and biopsied. With that news, my Trusting Journey began. Surgery took place on December 14, 2010. I was not prepared to hear the report on December 16, “Mrs. Pratt the mass that was removed in surgery is cancer.”

As I began to navigate through the days and months that followed, I found that the Quiet Influence of so many of my friends and family sustained me during the difficult and almost debilitating moments that I faced on my Trusting Journey.
In her book, Becoming a Woman of Influence, Carol Kent encourages women to discover the power we have in Christ to influence others like Jesus did. That no matter what happens to us in this life, we can choose faith, we can choose hope and we can choose to Trust. God can use whatever happens to us in our lives to be a platform upon which He can give hope, peace and even joy to others during the darkest, most difficult storms in our lives.
I found this to be true. There were days, I could not communicate with the outside world. I couldn’t even talk to my own children. I would call my husband on my cell phone, although he was in the next room, and when he would hear the silence, he would come to me. One of my girlfriends later gave me a “cow bell” to use to summons him……………….that was interesting………..LOL!

My blog became my voice.

I decided early on in this Journey, that I wanted to encourage others to navigate with faith during difficult time and I was determined to turn my fear into a catalyst of courage. Even in the most difficult struggle of this Trusting Journey, there were Girlfriends, Ministry Friends and Family that continued to be a “Quiet Influence” in my life. With every card, every text, every email, every comment on my blog, every meal provided for my family, every pedicure or manicure, every massage, every act of kindness, I was strengthened and encouraged. I was constantly lifted in prayer which sustained me.

This wasn’t a journey I anticipated. Although this appeared to be a major interruption in my life, I quickly realized that this interruption could actually be a divine appointment. The Lord began to impress upon my heart that I should live in such a way that my walk, my talk, (or my whisper) should be moments that impart God’s love to others and impact their lives with HOPE. We have a responsibility as Christian Women to be Jesus to people and to allow them to see us in action, living our lives the way Christian Women should.

The scripture that I stood on during this Trusting Journey was Proverbs 3:5 & 6, Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not to your own understanding, but in all of your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path. I did not “UNDERSTAND”, but I decided that I would ‘TRUST”.

This may have seemed to be an interruption in my life, but I have been given so many opportunities to share the love of Jesus with women that are going through difficult times too. Just like Karen.

Gary and I took a few days of vacation to Snowmass, Colorado. My girlfriend, Christie, arranged for me to have a massage at a local spa after we arrived. Although we split the trip, the long ride in the car rendered my body very sore and tired. So you can imagine how much I looked forward to being pampered and enjoy the soothing, relaxing moments I anticipated. As I sat in my robe in the peaceful atmosphere that had been created in this elegant setting, a very soft voice said, “Mrs. Pratt I am here to serve you. May I wash your feet.” In that moment, I felt the presence of Jesus. It was as though He was saying to me, “May I wash your feet, I know your journey has been long.” I opened my eyes to a beautiful young woman kneeling at my feet, with a beautiful smile, a tender touch and a turban wrapped around her head. She said, “I see from your paper work, that you have just completed cancer treatment. I am in my third week of treatment.” As we began to converse I realized that this was a divine interruption. Karen, although not a professing woman of faith, was so compassionate in her care for me, and God gave me the opportunity to share with her how He had sustained me during this difficult passage of my life. When the massage was finished, with tears in our eyes, I hugged her and told her I wanted to bring her a gift, a “TRUSTING” shirt that would remind her that a Girlfriend in Oklahoma would be praying for her and that she was not alone in her Journey. She in turn gave me a stone with the words “HOPE” engraved on it.

Friends and Family, you will never know how much your prayers and encouragement have meant to me. Your Quiet Influence has inspired me. Thank you for your continued prayers on my behalf. There are so many people out there just waiting for our lives to be interrupted, so that they can hear the good news, that JESUS LOVES THEM. We never know when God will allow our paths to be interrupted so that we can share our faith with others.

STILL TRUSTING,
Debbie