Thought for the Week...Growing together in God and in love

It was a very special day for Jaquie and her family and friends as she walked down the aisle.

In July 2008, when Jaquie was 17 years old, she dived into her friend’s swimming pool and broke her neck.

She said, “I remember floating face down, unable to move and thinking I was going to drown.

“I could hear the girls laughing, thinking I was just joking or something.

“When I was finally pulled out of the pool and knew my mom was being called to come and get me, my body blacked out.”

In the hospital, Jaquie could feel all her limbs, but couldn’t move them.

She asked her mother, “Am I going to be in a wheelchair forever?”

Holding back tears, her mother said, “If God wants you to walk, you’ll walk.” Jaquie says that at that moment her faith kicked in and she was determined to be “normal” again.

Her first glimmer of progress came when, to her doctor’s surprise, she was able to move her big toe.

Jaquie spent hundreds of hours in physiotherapy, and on her own in the gym, working to regain the ability to stand.

Her dream was to walk down the aisle on her wedding day.

Looking at the photos of her wedding day brings tears to Jaquie’s eyes.

She said, “It’s so easy to forget how miraculous it is that I can walk now, since it’s a journey I’ve been going through for 8 years.

“When people react with such emotion and awe, it reminds me just how blessed I am.

“Andy and I have now been married for three months. I’m so thankful for his servant’s heart and willingness to put in the work that a good marriage takes.

“I’ve learned so much from him in the past three years and I can’t wait to continue to grow together in God and in love.”

We are all liable to life-changing accidents and illnesses.

When tragic events happen to us, or to those we love, it is so important to turn to God.

God has sustained Jaquie through dark and difficult days.

She has experienced his love in Jesus in a new way.

She knows that Jesus is always with her and that there is nothing that can ever separate her from his love.

As they share the joys and sorrows of married life, Jaquie and Andy are looking forward to knowing God’s love for them more and more.

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