Oh, my dear friends.
It has been a quiet 14 months without all of you but I'm back today for a very important reason.
I'm back today to tell every one of you that God knows you.
He knows you individually, emotionally, and spiritually.
He knows the thoughts of your heart and your mind.
He hears every single whispered prayer and he answers them.
Ten weeks ago I was feeling buried.
Upon moving back to Utah I took on several jobs that grew and grew and I was out of control.
Nine and ten weeks ago my daughter was spending 8-9 hours a day with a babysitter while Javi and I worked.
Ten weeks ago I started whispering little prayers that God would help me realign my priorities.
I begged for things to stop so that I could be the mother that I had always dreamed of being.
My house was a wreck, I wasn't cooking dinner for my family, and I certainly hadn't done any spiritual study in WEEKS (maybe months).
So, I quit-and as soon as word got out that I quit, the phone started ringing.
Many beautiful opportunities were presented in which I could quickly fill up my time again.
Two days after I quit (so this was eight weeks ago), I was driving down I-15 with my beautiful toddler in the back seat and
I had a massive stroke.
I couldn't speak.
I couldn't read.
I was confused and frustrated but from the moment it happened, I knew that everything was going to be alright.
While driving down I-15 I felt surrounded by people.
Those "people" took me to the next exit and got us safely parked.
Those same "people" told my dad through a 10 minute phone conversation-in which I muttered 5 words-where I was parked.
He got in touch with my brother and a dear friend who rushed to where I was sitting, sobbing, and they gave me a priesthood blessing.
In the blessing, I was promised that I would be sustained until I could get the proper attention that I needed (which became increasingly important as the E.R. doctor told my family that nothing was wrong and that I should go home and sleep it off).
24 hours after the stroke, I finally got a shot of blood thinner that began dissipating the blood clots in my brain.
Three areas of the brain had already been damaged (the language sections) but within three days, I could speak again.
God did that.
God made me speak again.
One week after the stroke, I sat in my neurologists office and he said
"I spent some time going over your brain scans since I last saw you. If someone were to ask me to look at your scans and guess how you were doing I would say 'she maybe has the ability to say a couple of words and has lots of brain damage.' Someone up there must really like you."
God did all of this for me!
He sent His Son to die so that I can be forgiven of all the things that I do wrong.
He gave the power to part a sea to a regular person just like me.
He also gave the power to move a mountain to another normal person just like me.
HE LOVES US, you guys, and He will fix us.
He will fix us physically as He has done for me.
He will fix us spiritually and emotionally and any other way that we need fixing.
He WILL make the adjustments necessary to our lives IF WE ASK.
I'm not going to say that having a stroke was the only way to fix my problems but I'm so grateful for it. Imagine that, grateful for a stroke.
That sounds weird.
It has been a quiet 14 months without all of you but I'm back today for a very important reason.
I'm back today to tell every one of you that God knows you.
He knows you individually, emotionally, and spiritually.
He knows the thoughts of your heart and your mind.
He hears every single whispered prayer and he answers them.
Ten weeks ago I was feeling buried.
Upon moving back to Utah I took on several jobs that grew and grew and I was out of control.
Nine and ten weeks ago my daughter was spending 8-9 hours a day with a babysitter while Javi and I worked.
Ten weeks ago I started whispering little prayers that God would help me realign my priorities.
I begged for things to stop so that I could be the mother that I had always dreamed of being.
My house was a wreck, I wasn't cooking dinner for my family, and I certainly hadn't done any spiritual study in WEEKS (maybe months).
So, I quit-and as soon as word got out that I quit, the phone started ringing.
Many beautiful opportunities were presented in which I could quickly fill up my time again.
Two days after I quit (so this was eight weeks ago), I was driving down I-15 with my beautiful toddler in the back seat and
I had a massive stroke.
I couldn't speak.
I couldn't read.
I was confused and frustrated but from the moment it happened, I knew that everything was going to be alright.
While driving down I-15 I felt surrounded by people.
Those "people" took me to the next exit and got us safely parked.
Those same "people" told my dad through a 10 minute phone conversation-in which I muttered 5 words-where I was parked.
He got in touch with my brother and a dear friend who rushed to where I was sitting, sobbing, and they gave me a priesthood blessing.
In the blessing, I was promised that I would be sustained until I could get the proper attention that I needed (which became increasingly important as the E.R. doctor told my family that nothing was wrong and that I should go home and sleep it off).
24 hours after the stroke, I finally got a shot of blood thinner that began dissipating the blood clots in my brain.
Three areas of the brain had already been damaged (the language sections) but within three days, I could speak again.
God did that.
God made me speak again.
One week after the stroke, I sat in my neurologists office and he said
"I spent some time going over your brain scans since I last saw you. If someone were to ask me to look at your scans and guess how you were doing I would say 'she maybe has the ability to say a couple of words and has lots of brain damage.' Someone up there must really like you."
God did all of this for me!
He sent His Son to die so that I can be forgiven of all the things that I do wrong.
He gave the power to part a sea to a regular person just like me.
He also gave the power to move a mountain to another normal person just like me.
HE LOVES US, you guys, and He will fix us.
He will fix us physically as He has done for me.
He will fix us spiritually and emotionally and any other way that we need fixing.
He WILL make the adjustments necessary to our lives IF WE ASK.
I'm not going to say that having a stroke was the only way to fix my problems but I'm so grateful for it. Imagine that, grateful for a stroke.
That sounds weird.
Oh Annalece, this was beautiful and brought tears to my eyes! I am so thankful you are doing great and that you have the eyes to see how much you are loved! Thank you for sharing your testimony!
ReplyDeleteAnnalece, from the time I first knew you as a child, I thought you were a miracle! Thanks for your inspiring words they lifted my heart today! Love you!
ReplyDelete