Plans to Give You Hope
For the last decade or two a scripture from Jeremiah has become familiar to most of us. Many modern homes are decorated with this passage as a reminder to trust in God for the future. It contains a wonderful promise and a reminder of the faithful love and steadfast assurance that He will be with us, no matter what.
"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." Jeremiah 29:11
This scripture has been the anchor of faith for Marla, a woman whose life changed forever with a phone call five years ago. A few words of background information are necessary to tell her story in ways that showcase the very personal application of Jeremiah’s words in Marla’s life.
Marla grew up in Norfolk, Nebraska, a mid-sized town in the Midwest. As a child she attended a Lutheran school which was started by her ancestor settlers - brave men and women from Wisconsin who crossed the prairie in Conestoga wagons to make a different, if not better life for their children. Staying close to the Lord was important to her parents, and so she attended high school in New Ulm, with one year of college as well. After that, she felt a pull to live in the west, so enjoyed a brief stint in Arizona.
God’s plan brought her back to her home state. She completed a degree in art, and was introduced to Ken, a man who loves the sweeping prairies of Nebraska farm land. They married and were blessed with three children, two boys and a baby girl. Ken and Marla live close to the land and have many opportunities to ask the Lord for His providential hand on their lives. Income is dependent on the weather, and neighbors are blocks and blocks away. Other than that, their lives were pretty much like any other family. They educated the kids for life and eternity, sent them off to college, and saw them go through the ups and downs of life.
Of course, as with any other family, there are dozens of stories they have lived. But to illustrate how Jeremiah 29 has played out for them, we skip ahead to the year 2016, the day of the life-changing phone call.
The middle son, Alexander, got a degree in mechanized systems management from the University of Nebraska and became a test engineer in the prototype combine division for a large agricultural corporation. He lived in Kansas and loved his friends, his home and his job. Opportunities to travel took him to various other farming states in the US as well as several countries outside the US to test these prototype combines.
On a routine day in July of 2016, he was testing one of these combines when his assistant heard a thud from the other side. In a freak turn of events, which only the Lord had seen, Alexander fell nearly ten feet to the cement floor of a test facility. His skull was fractured and he sustained many injuries. The helicopter flight for life took him to a trauma center in Idaho where he immediately had surgery and lay in a coma.
Long story short, the diagnosis was grim. But the almighty Lord was with this family of believers. A run down of miracles they have since witnessed would entail one medical obstacle after another. Amazingly, God has shown his work of making Alexander an overcomer.
Told he might not see his thirtieth birthday, he did
Told he might not wake up, he did
Told he would not be able to use his right side, he does
Told he would not walk again, he does
Told he would not speak again, he is daily putting more words together
Reading? Coming back. Telling jokes? Some days, hilarious.
Told he would probably not remember anything, he does. He fervently sings hymns he memorized as a child.
Ask Marla and she joyfully and tearfully will tell you all the ways this tragedy has been a blessing to their faith. Mention Jesus to Al, and he beams with joy at the name, folds his hands and closes his eyes in prayer and says, ”Blessed I am.”. His joy is infectious and convicting at the same time. He, in his weakened state, is ever exuberant in his love for God, while I, in soundness of brain and body, seem less than filled with the incredible hope he always displays. Emphasis on always.
All this recovery from a traumatic brain injury has taken thousands of baby steps, daily focused therapies, and tons of prayers for healing. Marla could have given up in exhaustion, but she has been energized to serve Jesus by serving Alexander. Minute by minute she sees to Al’s needs and patiently teaches tiny steps, reinforcing each task over and over and over.
Someday Alexander might want to read how the Lord has cared for him. For nearly three years after the accident, she wrote daily entries on CaringBridge. She has not missed a monthly update for over five years.
Just yesterday she wrote a glimpse into how scripture has sustained the whole family since that fateful July day in 2016:
During the first year while Alexander was at Madonna & QLI (trauma centers) I often held on to Jeremiah 29:11 "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." Now I realize the verses following those are of greater significance. "Then you will call on me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Those last two verses are even more valuable as we watch Alexander's progress. Our son realizes where his help comes from. He gives God the praise everyday as he says ‘thank you, Jesus’ out loud when his words come or his memory flashes back. He shows no concern for tomorrow; doesn't worry or fret. He simply trusts that God will care for him. Oh how we are the ones being blessed and healed, not Alexander. We need his childlike faith. God, hear our prayer!
When the Lord’s plans don’t match ours, perhaps we can remember this mother and her family as a testimony to His love. We don’t know what the future holds, but we do know who holds the future.
And that makes all the difference! In Al’s words, “Thank you, Jesus!”
P.S. All these pictures were taken AFTER the accident. Alexander may never live on his own again, but he helps on the farm and brings new perspectives for praise every day!
