Coincidence or Miracle?

Last night, our oldest N joined a bunch of other middle school friends for a Youth Group event snow tubing on a local run. The rest of our family was enjoying a quiet night at home reading books.

As I enjoyed my novel, I was distracted mid-sentence with an urge to pray. It was as if someone whispered in my ear, "Jessemyn, pray NOW." I sat confused for a moment. I knew that I did not imagine it. I was INTO my book and this came completely randomly into my head with lightening speed. Was this me talking to myself, I wondered?

"Pray now, my child," I distinctly heard. "Ok, Lord, but what am I to pray for? If you want me to pray, you need to tell me what to pray for."

"Pray for your son. Pray for his neck."

WHAT?!

So, I prayed earnestly. I was overcome with a sense that something big was happening. My stomach was in knots. I prayed for several minutes and then the urgency was gone in my spirit and I sat there emotionally spent for about 20 minutes more.

My husband had been upstairs reading a book to our middle son and when he came downstairs, I asked him if he would go early to check on our son, telling my husband that I had a sense that there had been an accident.

As husbands do, he assured me N was fine and that we would've been called if there was problem.

When the time came for the tubing to be over, Husband left brought son home. Happy. Smiling. Perfectly Fine.

"N, by any chance....did you get hurt tonight?"

"Yeah! It was the craziest thing...I was going down the run and flipped in the air. I landed on my NECK and heard this cracking sound. I just laid there in the snow for several minutes knowing that you shouldn't move in case you can make an injury worse. After a few minutes, it was like I was totally myself again. I got up and did another awesome run!"

I sat stunned. Coincidence or miracle? No way to know for sure, yet.....

Sweet Story

Today, M's favorite little friend was over. Together, we baked molasses cookies. Measuring, stirring, mixing, and rolling the dough in sugar left them giggling. While we worked, M's friend was mesmerized by the colors of the spices blending together. "They're beautiful!" she exclaimed.

I opened the jars one by one and we smelled them. It's our little ritual. I always ask the girls to close their eyes and fully live in the moment. As we performed our little tradition, I remembered how M used to be afraid to smell things. Totally unsure about all things that were new. Her fear of walking in grass. Her fear of touching the snow. Her fear of the ocean. And now?

When she smelled the cloves, she breathed in deeply and sighed saying,

"It smells like love."

Yes, Sugarplum, baking cookies with mom smells like love.