Bless The Lord At All Times

Today marks a year since my sister's accident. I think anniversaries, good or bad, are always helpful to think back on and see where God has brought you and it always helps us see the big picture a little more clearly. I told Britt that I thought it would be beneficial for her to write out a little testimony about what has happened to her. I thought it would be good for her to remember the Lord's faithfulness over the past year, especially since I'm sure today brings back painful memories for her. I also, wanted it to post! So, here is the story of a courageous, godly woman and our faithful and merciful Father.

This morning, April 1, 2008 I awoke to find a beautiful white robe hanging on our shower door with a sweet card from my husband. How thankful I am for him and for the reminders of God's faithfulness he wrote in the card to me this morning.
"I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes it boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad." The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and His ears toward their cry. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all" Pslam 34.
April 1, 2007 had quite a different start and marked a new chapter in my life and my husband's. That morning 90% of my legs and feet, part of my right arm, and part of my back experienced 2nd and 3rd degree burns due to a grease fire in our home. I spent about three and half weeks in the hospital recovering. I had to undergo daily wound cleanings, daily oxygen treatments to my skin, and a skin graft surgery to my feet and part of my right arm to restore the skin that the 3rd degree burns had destroyed. Once released from the hospital I still remained at the mercy of those around me as it would still be some time before I could walk again. I made weekly trips back to the wound care clinic for them to check on my progress and change my dressings. I've had to battle severe anxiety attacks due to the trauma to my body and fight the enemy's attacks of thinking God no longer had good things planned for my days here on earth. But through this all, I know for a fact, God has never left my side, and even through this, God always intended this for good in my life. My physical healing process, though long, was much faster than anyone would have anticipated. Today, the only marks left from the accident are some slight scarring on my right foot from the skin graft, but even that in time, will completely be gone. I no longer experience anxiety attacks and can go about life just like I always knew. Our God is such a faithful God!
How much we need our Lord and Savior! The Lord has shown me that I cannot go a day without Him. I am alive not because I woke up being able to breathe this morning, but because my Savior has rescued my soul and I am now His. How often we take life for granted and how often we think this life is our own! No matter what we go through, our God is rich in mercy, and the fact that He has saved our souls is enough to sing His praises for all our days.
This morning as I stared teary eyed at the sweet gift of the white robe my husband had given me, I was reminded of how our Lord Jesus clothed us with His sweet robe of righteousness and because of His gift to us, we can stand holy and blameless in His sight. No matter what we go through here on earth, let us always remember, our greatest need has been met in Christ and one day we will spend eternity with Him, where every tear will be wiped away and pain and suffering will be no more..but again most importantly, we will be with the one we were created for!
- Brittany Arellano