Chasing Blue Skies

encouragement for every season of life

  • Home
  • Kristen
  • Blog
  • Books
    • Back Roads to Belonging
    • Girl Meets Change
    • Serving You (for military wives)
  • Subscribe
  • Instagram
  • Archives
  • Free
    • for everyone
    • for military spouses
  • Contact

Your New Christmas Miracle Waiting to Be Found

in Christmas· Faith· Family· Parenting

The nurse named Allie just shakes her head.

“Someone will write a book about her one day.”

Over our 3 day stay in the hospital, we recount Faith’s story a dozen times. Yes, she’s most likely had this injury since age 2. Yes, she’s survived all kinds of crazy activities, including years in gymnastics and boogie boarding in Hawaii. And who can count all the other swing-jumping, stair-sliding revels? But when you’re this active while missing the bone that keeps the first vertebrae from sliding into the spinal cord, making it through unscathed means God’s hand obviously covers and protects before it brings hidden miracles to light.

“She’s gonna do something great someday,” marvels Allie.

Faith has surgery to correct this malformation, surgery that fuses her top two vertebrae together.

In the recovery room, Allie gently asks Faith to wiggle her toes. She wiggles them again and again, beyond what Allie needs. I start crying because I’ve never thought to be thankful for wiggley toes. But today? Faith moving her little toes is something great.

This Christmas, may God’s hand bring you a hidden miracle from the shadows, one found in unforeseen spaces. After all, that’s where the first Miracle cried out, from a manger inside an unsuspecting stable. Sometimes, the least expected hides the most splendid. And whether your miracle is dramatic or simple wiggly toes, may you give God some praise over it.

Merry Christmas, darlings. I’m giving Him some praise for *you*. May the love and joy of Christ be with you and in you. I’ll see you after the New Year!

This week of Christmas, I’m happily unwrapping everyday miracles with Emily’s Tuesdays Unwrapped.

Sharing is caring!

0shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Related

Share
Tweet
Pin
0 Shares

Filed Under: Christmas, Faith, Family, Parenting

« Because Christmas Decorations Encourage
How You Can Really Rest This New Year »

Comments

  1. Amy Hunt says

    December 20, 2011 at 10:11 am

    love this: “may God’s hand bring you a hidden miracle from the shadows, one found in unforeseen spaces.”

    Rich blessings as you worship through gratitude in the revealing of His miracle. I appreciate you, friend.

    Reply
    • Kristen says

      December 20, 2011 at 11:01 pm

      The way you write is just beautiful, Amy. I appreciate you, too! Merry Christmas!

      Reply
  2. Jennifer_StudioJRU says

    December 20, 2011 at 10:44 am

    Praising God for the miracles… large and small! So grateful for those wiggley toes! ♥

    Reply
  3. Shilo says

    December 20, 2011 at 11:38 am

    Wonderful!

    Reply
  4. Cindy in PA says

    December 20, 2011 at 7:55 pm

    Blessings to you and your family during this Christmas season. Your writing is beautiful and encouraging. I’ll be “reading you” in the New Year.

    Reply
    • Kristen says

      December 20, 2011 at 11:25 pm

      May a beautiful Christmas be yours, Cindy! Thankful for you!

      Reply
  5. Jennifer says

    December 21, 2011 at 9:02 am

    Praise the Lord! That is a wonderful miracle at the perfect time of year!

    Reply
  6. Becky K. says

    December 21, 2011 at 10:10 am

    Tears in my eyes. Thank you for this update, Kristen. Blessings to you and your family!

    Reply
  7. Stacey says

    December 23, 2011 at 10:54 am

    For wiggling toes and nurses named Allie who get to see this story lived out in real life.

    We praise Him!

    Merry. Merry. Merry. Christmas.

    Reply
  8. Jennifer says

    December 28, 2011 at 10:45 pm

    Kristen, I praise God with you! Yay! What a beautiful Christmas! 🙂

    Reply
  9. Kristi says

    December 29, 2011 at 3:33 pm

    Hey friend, catching up on some reading…my heart rejoices and sings a happy song thinking of you and all He has planned for you and your family. What a joy it is to know you and celebrate the risen Savior’s birth with extended friends!! Hallelujah!!! LY 🙂

    Reply
  10. Beth says

    December 29, 2011 at 7:18 pm

    Thank God for beautiful miracles! Large and small 🙂 Merry, merry Christmas to you and a very blessed New Year! I look forward to reading your beautiful posts next year;)

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. When You Need Some Fresh Air of Your Own says:
    February 6, 2012 at 11:57 am

    […] explain this to a friend, how this business with Faith and other things have me flat-lined, especially creatively. In her words-that-soothe-a-dry-soul […]

    Reply
  2. What Your Difficult Today Really Means :: at (in)courage says:
    September 3, 2012 at 8:21 am

    […] It’s been 8 months since Faith’s surgery correcting her broken neck, and we rejoice the surgery was a complete success. She is able to participate in miles more than we were told would be possible. But as far as those miles take her, she can never resume her first love: gymnastics. […]

    Reply
  3. Unfinished Stories:: Kristen Strong says:
    June 25, 2013 at 5:09 am

    […] been quite the road for our Faith, from a broken neck and surgery in 2011, recovery in 2012, and learning to be peaceful with the loss of a dream still […]

    Reply
  4. A Story Unfinished says:
    June 25, 2013 at 9:49 am

    […] been quite the road for our Faith, from a broken neck and surgery in 2011, recovery in 2012, and learning to be peaceful with the loss of a dream still […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

On Instagram

$1.99 ebook deal-extraordinaire!🎉💃🏻🎉 R $1.99 ebook deal-extraordinaire!🎉💃🏻🎉 Right now, get the digital version of Back Roads to Belonging for $1.99! ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
This book can be a gift for anyone feeling lost or lonely no matter her life season, but I believe it's an especially timely gift to yourself or a loved one who may be missing her place and people during the lingering pandemic. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Tap the link in my profile for links to both Kindle & Nook.☑️☑️⁠⁠
⁠⁠
And if you read this book and found it personally helpful, perhaps consider sharing it 'round your circles, too? ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
#backroadstobelonging⁠⁠
photo credit: @jenlintsphotography
An accomplishment for this week: Taking daily walk An accomplishment for this week: Taking daily walks outside, because outside is where the pretty lives even if it's also where the cold lives, too. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Another accomplishment this week included introducing my daughter to an '80's staple of pop culture: Dirty Dancing.💃🏻🕺🏻 My inner 8th grader still knows all the songs, and my daughter was able to understand the origins of "Nobody puts Baby in a corner." and that it *doesn't* refer to an actual baby. What can I say? I've found one homeschooling subject I feel qualified to teach. ⁠⁠✅
⁠⁠
Happy Friday, dear hearts!⁠⁠💛
⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Trusting God with the ones you love ~ I found this Trusting God with the ones you love ~ I found this easier to do when the ones I love lived in my house full time. It turns out that having them move out from under my roof is a real lesson in seeing the holes of my trust.⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠
You might say learning this has been A WHOLE THING. ⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠
I first saw this book on @annvoskamp's instagram feed, and since Ann never steers me wrong, I promptly bought it and am now halfway through it. ⁠I skip some chapters as they don't (yet if ever) apply, but those that *do* apply have been a real help and comfort. ⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠
In short, author @jodie_berndt's prayer prompts and stories reflecting an array of circumstances and outcomes has been a real gift to my mama heart. ⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠
⁠Being a parent is hard no matter the age of our kids, but I'm so thankful for books like this that ease our trials and deepen our trust along the way.⁠⁠⁠
#fromthebookstack
This verse came alongside me like a friend not onc This verse came alongside me like a friend not once but twice in two days:⁠⁠
⁠⁠
"The angel of the Lord encamps⁠⁠
 around those who fear him, and delivers them.” ~Psalm 34:7⁠⁠
⁠⁠
I don’t know what hardship you're encountering today, but I hope you also encounter this message:⁠⁠
⁠⁠
As God surrounds you, may He deliver you *to* a better place, yes. But may He deliver you *from* anxiety, loneliness, fears, and wrongdoing.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
And along the way, may He give you a friend who prays for you and walks with you from where you are to where you will be. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
#whereIbelongWednesday⁠⁠
#backroadstobelonging
Follow on Instagram
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2021 Kristen Strong · Site by Design by Insight · Chasing Blue Skies Logo by Aliza Latta