JANELL'S JOURNEY

You are probably wondering why I'm writing about Janell's life...easy--she's much more to us than a Janell. Janell came into our lives when she was a student at YWAM's campus in Montana where Jackie and I were the school leaders. That was way back in 1990. She pretty much was cold, elusive and definitely not wanting a group hug. Over time, things got better. Then they got worse. She had some medical mishaps and in order for her to finish up her school, she moved in with us and became part of the family. Leah had her big sister. It was pretty much uneventful having Janell living with us until she nearly bled to death in bed. But we all survived DTS together and Janell married Dale, who'd been planning on marrying her for quite some time. A couple of years later we moved to Hong Kong and asked if they would come and be on staff with us over there. It was a great year together, working in the DTS. Their first son, Caleb, was born in Hong Kong and I got to drive them to the hospital. I got lost coming home but thank God going we found it OK. After Hong Kong we all went our separate ways and pursued God. Jackie and I hung in with YWAM another 4 or 5 years and they eventually moved to Colorado and by 2003 were up to about 10 kids--3 were born to them and the other and 4 were adopted with 3 more in the process. Then their world fell apart--hard. I'm really shortening this but while we were off in Thailand on another one of our adventures in Christ, Janell had a couple of strokes and a few other near-death experiences and wound up paralyzed.

For, it seems, the last year we've been on our blog site and in our emails asking for prayers for this person or that one and it's been a tough year in many ways. There have been times we've wondered what else could possibly happen when sure enough, something else happened that knocked us backwards a couple of steps. But this is a different kind of story. I asked Janell if I could tell some more of her story and she referred me to something she'd already written, so here's what's going on in her life:

As I have said before, my desire is that you know “the whole story”. But I can’t leave you hangin’ and thinking about days gone by, (years gone by) while I am rejoicing in the most awesome miracle of my life. So, this is the beginning of what is happening... I wrote this March 7, 2008. Please stay tuned, as so much has happened since then!!

I keep starting to write something about this, then deleting and backing up. uhm...

In the past few weeks, Dale and I have been challenging our kids with "what are you living for?" You are either living for God or you are not. It's very convicting to raise kids, because it forces me to examine my own heart. Then when I pray for my kid's heart issues, this conviction comes: “maybe my kids are having a hard time living for God, because I am having a hard time living for God.”

So the question came, what am I living for?

I don't know.

I used to live for God.

I am not sure how to put into words the things have transpired since. Except that God is doing something very personal with me. Repentance and trust are in the middle of it all.

During the preceding weeks, I had the overwhelming feeling that I just couldn’t continue to live in the physical condition that I was. This feeling has come and go over the past 5 years but I just couldn’t shake it. With a refreshed desire to listen to the Lord, I prayed and waited. Prayed and waited. The still small voice, that I was once so familiar with returned to me in the sweetest of ways.

“It is time, Janell”

That morning, Monday, March 3, 2008 I did not put on ANY leg brace... no KAFO, no AFO, ‘no nothing’. Dale and I went to Costco together, I walked around using crutches. There was still a measure of concentration involved, especially in order to not hyperextend my knee. But it's not like anything that's happened in the past 5 years. (Did you know on March 23 it will be 5 years?)

Tuesday, same story, no brace, just crutches. So, two days. I hadn't told even Dale. Something about the whole thing was very personal. Tuesday evening I showed Dale. He just stared... "do that again, let me see that again, what is going on? ... is God healing you???"

We cried.

Wednesday I went to Boulder Running Company and bought myself some running shoes. The lady that helped me must have thought I was a nut... I crutch in and ask for help with running shoes... I said, "I'm not quite running yet, but I will be." (thanks Cydney!)

So, my left leg did not sprout muscles. But I can move it. I can move my hand too.

I don't know what more to say, (EXCEPT PRAISE GOD!!) something REALLY awesome is happening.

Here we are at the 20th YWAM/Montana anniversary. That's Theresa in the brown coat, another one of our Hong Kong staff and much, much more than that to us. She's family too.

I called the other day to talk to Janell and she was in the middle of lifting weights and couldn't talk. Dale had already told me she'd done 45 minutes on the tread mill thingie. So she's making good progress. Is it a miracle? Janell even being alive is a miracle. Janell following God is a miracle. We all have valleys to walk through but I've never in my life seen a valley so deep as the one she's gone through. There are so many left out details that it would take a ton more pages just to fill them in. Janell said it started with repentance. And therein lies a great miracle--a heart renewed for God. He's always about the heart, this wonderful Father we've met through Christ His glorious Son. No matter how deep and long the valley, He has walked through it before us and is always there for us when we call out to Him. We may never get out of our wheel chairs as Janell has, but then we can all have hearts burning with love for our God and that is indeed a wonderful miracle. However, I am so glad that she's out of the chair! I so wish we could be in CO right now to be with them to share their joy. Oh yeah, my wife can't walk! But she will....

I hope this has been an encouragement to you. We are so grateful to God for what He's done for Dale, Janell and their kids.