Three Years Already!?!

August 26, 2012

Three Years Already!?!

Has it really already been three years? In a way it seems like it was just yesterday but on the flip side it feels like forever ago. As I think back to what happened to me exactly three years ago today I am literally just blown away. Part of me wants to just sit an cry and never get up and the other part of me wants to celebrate and rejoice for all that I have overcome! As I sit here in awe, I wonder how different my life would be if I was never born with an extra cervical rib. I am 100% positive that I would not be where I am today.

Let’s rewind to August 26^th 2009…

August 26^th will always be a day that is very close to my heart. It was a day that forever changed my life. At only 17 years old I underwent 10 surgeries in a three weeks span, that resulted in the amputation of my dominate right hand. I have been through more in my short life than most people will go through in an entire lifetime. As I was looking at my scrapbook of pictures that were taken over the course of the three weeks, I came across a paper with some comments from my Mom and Dad. This paper was from the facebook page that was keeping all of you guys up to date with what was happening. I would like to just share a few:

Dad: Out of surgery – closed arm with skin graft – surgery on hand 8/25 – keep praying for that MIRACLE!

Dad: Surgery postponed until Wed (8/26) some positive signs in the palm of Carley’s hand! – KEEP PRAYING!

Mom: God, who designed Carley and loves her more than me (hard to believe!) has held her in the palm of His hands and has placed her in the care of skilled Dr.’s who knew just what to do to save her arm/hand. We trust that God is going to continue to heal her into a full recovery as we know that He has GREAT plans for her!

As I read those and thousands more of your comments of prayers and support I want to say THANK YOU! I wish there was a way to say thank you to each and every one of you who prayed for me during that time and who have continued to pray for me. I want you to know that your prayers WORKED! I may not have left the hospital with my right hand but I have much more than that. I have my LIFE! God works in mysterious ways and we never know why He allows His children to suffer and feel pain. But we have to trust Him completely.

I use think to myself "what if God did heal my hand, that would be a much better story to share with people." It would prove that my God can and still does perform miracles. But then He stops me and says “Carley I did perform a miracle”. The Lord is absolutely, 100% correct! He DID do a miracle. It may not have been the one that we all prayed for but He definitely did a miracle in my life. One, He spared my life! The blood clots were forming at my shoulder close to my neck and they could have gone up to my brain and taken my life. Instead God directed each of those little blood clots to go down into my right arm and hand. Miracle number two by my awesome God, with the help of fabulous surgeons, was that I only lost my hand and not my entire right arm. From the tips of my fingers to my elbow on my right arm the arteries were completely full of blood clots. But because of the knowledge and wisdom God had given each of those skilled surgeons they were able to save my forearm. Can you say MIRACLE!!!?

Fast forward August 26, 2012

Do I wish that I had two hands? Every single day. But do I know that the Lord is in control of my life? Absolutely! There are days when I just want to be “normal” days where I am tired of getting stares. There are days when it’s hard to do things because I only have one hand. I want to be able to just throw my hair up in a ponytail but I can’t. It is frustrating and it is hard. But having one hand doesn’t make things impossible. I can overcome any obstacle because the Lord is with me! Therefore so can you! If I can do it with one hand, you can do it with two! Knowing that God has something new in store for me something that I could never have reached if I had two hands is really awesome to think about!

I heard a song on the radio last night that I had never heard before and I want to share a few of the lyrics that really touched me. It is called “Blessings” by Laura’s Story.

“We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise”

“What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise” Wow. That line literally leaves me speechless. I feel like that was God talking right to me. He knew that I would be struggling today and that was His way of reassuring me that everything is going to be okay :)

If you made it to the end of this blog I want to say thank you! Thank you for praying for me over the last three years and thank you for following me on my journey! <3 Just remember God loves YOU and wants the best for YOU! He doesn’t allow His children to suffer for no reason at all; He has GREAT plans for YOUR LIFE :)

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Then