Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Even If He Doesn't

We went to a concert on Friday night and when Shane and Shane came onstage for 5 songs, it was an incredibly worship-filled moment. Before one of the songs Shane Barnard shared his insights on the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3). The three knew if they refused to bow down to the king they would be thrown into the fiery furnace. Shane emphasized verses 17 & 18 where they proclaimed their belief that God could save them, but then went on to tell the king that "even if he doesn't" they still wouldn't bow down.

Many of you probably heard about the accident that happened later that evening. As Starfield was performing their second song, the floor of the church gave way and a massive sound & light structure came down on the crowd. As shocking and traumatic as I'm sure it was for everyone there, it felt especially sick that our family had to be present for such a horrific moment (though thankfully safely seated in the balcony). One of my first thoughts was, why did WE have to be here for this? Reflecting on it later, I thought again of the fiery furnace. There are a lot of difficult situations that we have yet to face and we won't ever know if God will "come through" or not. It's like when Job chose to say, "though He slay me, yet I will trust in Him."

So, it felt good on Saturday to spend the day outside in the sunshine. Erik and I decided on a whim to build a tree house for the kids in the backyard. (Erik would tell you it was all my idea, but I definitely didn't force him to go to the lumber store for materials or spend 8 hours building!) Doug & Erik laboured while us girls spectated from blankets on the grass.


Micah playing on the lumber.



Caleb enjoying some crackers and sunshine.



Keziah being little miss helper.


This was the progress by the end of the day. Hopefully in the next couple of weekends it will have walls, a roof and a more sturdy foundation. Micah has been promised a "boys only" sleepover once it is completed and the weather is warm enough!

16 comments:

rachel joy said...

Cute tree house! What fun that will be. I love how you caught a picture of Micah in mid-air. :)

-Me- said...

When I heard about the accident at the Starfield concert I immediately thought of you, Jamie. I wasn't sure if it was your church or not...also, our old Pastor is out there now and so I immediately needed to look it up to see if it was his church or not. I'm sorry that your family had to be there for it, and I'm also thanking Jesus that you were all okay. The tree house is looking great..can't wait to see the finished product :D

Anonymous said...

Oh wow - that would have been very scary. I didn't hear about that accident - were people badly hurt? I'm glad you are okay though, and that you can see how God is using that incident to help you see how His hand is in everything - even when we think it isn't.

Charlotte said...

How lucky for Micah to get his own tree house! :D that is so fun!!

Anonymous said...

wow! quite the adventorous time for you and your family.....
i really like the tree-house!i have a bad imagination, so i´m curious how it´ll look like when it´s finished!
leslie
p.s.: the picture of keziah helping is really cute!

Jamie said...

Heather - I think about 40 people were brought to hospital but there was only one or two people that were actually seriously injured and are still in hospital. Everyone is surprised that nobody died. If you search the accident online there's a ton of info.

kelly ens said...

I didn't know Shane & Shane were there; Alf and I had talked about going to see them, but never got around to it. I guess it turned out that we didn't go.
thanks for sharing those insights; i am encouraged by how you are able to see the opportunity to trust God through it.
Great looking fort :) you'll have to take pictures when it's all done!

Bonnie said...

Jamie, I'm so sorry you guys had to witness that horrible accident. I can't even imagine how tough that must have been. You have all been on my heart & mind a LOT lately, and I'll continue to pray that His hand would be on you each day, touching your hearts in the ways you need Him to. Praying that you are continually feeling His nearness.

As for the treehouse, looks awesome! I bet the summer will be extra sweet for Micah this year, having such a cool little getaway :) Hope you're enjoying the bits of sunshine today! Thinking of you guys daily.

Dianna said...

The old saying comes to mind.. When it rains it pours.. I'm so glad that God spared you once again. Yet in a different way He shows us no matter what He is in control. If it would've been in His will.. Know what I mean? He does have plans for you Jaimie He wants you around still, being a vessel for His kingdom.
The tree house looks cute and sounds like lots of summer fun.

Janelle said...

i got the news of the accident about 2am on Saturday & thought of you guys right away but wasn't sure if you were there. so sorry you had to be. i just felt so much for everyone who was there...i can't imagine how scary that was for you. Starfield is here on Monday - i'm thinking of going to show support. i'm so glad God kept everyone safe.
lucky kids to have such talented men to build them a playhouse! they can come visit my backyard anytime! we're just trying to decide on a playhouse!! :)
love you guys.

Kathy's corner said...

When I think back, where I have come from,a nd what God has brought me through, I am reminded that nothing happens without his permission. We have been sealed with his Holy Spirit. It reminds us of how temporary things are down here on earth, and that bad things happen to good people, but God tells us our lives are just a moment in eternity. Someday we will see that reality, and the joy of being home with him will be all that matters. Tough days make me homesick. Though life hurts sometimes, we know that the best is yet to be. You guys have had some tough stuff this year, but never forget how close Jesus has been and the growth you have experienced in Him. we love you,a nd pray always. love mom

The Keowns said...

man, that whole concert stuff is just so crazy!! we are going tomorow to the starfield concert and I am very excited.
Micah, can I come play in your playhouse?

Amber said...

We had heard about the Starfield concert soon after it happened and then after I read your post I told Erik that you guys were there. He said "Wow, they sure do get around" and I asked him what he meant and he said, "well you just told me about their Tim Hortons incident and now this..." Anyways, glad you guys were up in the balcony and kept safe!

Drea said...

you have one handy hubby!! love the treehouse. i had one as a kid and it gave us lots of great memories.

Wenona said...

Wow, how scary for your family to experience such a thing. Praising God that your family is safe.
Also, how fun for your kids to have their very own tree house! I can't wait to do things like that with our little family.

Kristina said...

I heard about that accident and wondered if you guys were there. Crazy!
Anyway I wanted to comment on your Maui post from a month ago. It's been a long time since I've read your blog and am catching up today. :) I was very intrigued because I just came back from a trip to Maui myself! What a beautiful island!! I definitely want to go back. I went with a friend and we stayed at Maalea - right next to the Harbour. We did activities like the road to Hana, the same snorkelling adventure as you (but no whale chase or swimming with the dolphins - that would have been AMAZING to see!!) and the Royal Lahaina luau. We also took a day to go to Pearl Harbour in Oahu. That island is way to busy for me. Maui was perfect! Wonderful beaches and lots of chances to burn - which we did well the third day we were there. I got a fantastic tan which sadly is fading fast. We also did a 9 day trip from Apr. 17-26. I want to start planning another trip there. It was wonderful!