Eight years ago today started out as any Saturday before Easter. We gathered together with family, did an Easter egg hunt not knowing our world was about to change forever.

Justin decided to climb a big oak tree in his grandparents yard. The same tree he and his sister Logan had always climbed, but this time as he decided to climb higher, the limb he jumped up to grab broke and the branch he was just standing on caught his feet and flipped him over, he fell to the ground landing on his neck and left shoulder. It was a parents nightmare, hearing the branch crack only to turn and see your child falling to the ground, knowing there was nothing you could do. Overwhelmed, I couldn’t process that my son was lying on the ground really not able to move more then his arms, I told Bill to tell me when to call 911 and I turned away and prayed to God.

From that moment on God took over and ordered the path that Justin would take from the ambulance that arrived, the hospital he was taken to, the ER nurse that greeted Bill upon arrival in the ER (she was one of our old employees, Jennifer Hooks and she was just getting off shift and stayed with Bill and Justin), then as soon as the ER doctor showed us Justin’s XRay, he had broke his neck (fractured C3, crushed C4-C5 & fractured C6) and there was nothing that they could do.

This was our son, what would we do... but before we could even process what that meant, Dr. Piehl approached us and introduced himself, told us he was the head of pediatrics and he just happened to in the adult ER when he heard about our son. He wanted to transfer him to the pediatrics unit and put him in a hypothermic coma, it had never been done on a pediatrics spinal cord injury before but if it were his son that is what he would do. Head spinning, we were then told to go meet with the neuro-surgeon that was on call. Y’all he was a spinal cord specialist, the pediatrics on call surgeon was a brain specialist. Can you see God and how he placed Justin just where he needed to be and how he placed the right people where they needed to be to answer my prayer! It didn’t stop there, Justin’s whole recovery was full of miracles, wonderful caregivers, a full team of doctors, nurses, therapists, friends and strangers.

All were used to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our time of need.

This day will always be celebrated by our family because we never want to forget just what God did and what he continues to do in Justin’s life. Justin did not stay paralyzed, he beat all the odds and surprised all the doctor’s and therapists.  God is good and he hears our prayers.

Justin is now 21 years old, owns Bandit Towing and Transport and has a bright future a head of him. So whenever life seems uncertain and we can’t see past the next minute let alone tomorrow, I pray you know the Lord and can turn to Him, trust Him and find through Him. "God is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust" (Psalm 91:2).

If you don’t know the Lord and have that peace, you can seek Him today and accept him today and know that peace. Scripture tells us if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (cf. Romans 10:9). I don’t know how anyone could get through tragic situations without faith and without God.  I pray you seek Him and know Him today and always.

This is a video a good friend Stacey Bigelow Shanahan made for us for Justin’s 4 year anniversary.  Please watch, praise God for the good things He has done and be blessed today!

https://youtu.be/Baw8ZrXyghE

Kelly Farley

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in ALL your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path." (Proverbs 3:5-6).

*That is Justin (left) pictured at Logan's wedding last year.

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