Monday, October 1, 2007

Weeds in the Garden




First of all, thank you so much for your prayers, letters, food, ect. Your love for our family has been overwhelming. I thank God everyday for our family, friends and our precious Grace Fellowship family. We have been truly blessed beyond measure with the people at Grace. You love us like family and we know you are suffering with us. God is continuing to show us what marvelous plans he has for our Sophie. I have recieved numerous calls about how God has changed your life. It is amazing. Some of you have made serious "life-changing" decisions. I see that Sophie's life is not wasted. God is changing hearts and souls as I type this.


Please continue to pray for me. I have good days and bad days. The good days are when my mind is focused on Christ. My bad days are mostly thoughts of self-pity, anger, and why me? When my friend, Jaime, went through this about a year ago, I thought to myself, "How did she survive?" "How did she go on with life?" Now, I see, that no matter the circumstance in life, God will supply you with grace upon grace. I recall seeing Susan Fleming at her son Micah's funeral. I walked up to her and looked her right in the face and said "How did you do this? I could never do this. " I will never forget her response. She said," Aimee, you would get through it. God will give you grace like you have never experienced." Oh, how her words are true. You don't understand God's grace until you suffer. You really don't. You don't grow leaps and bounds in your walk with Christ unless you suffer. Suffering makes you depend on God alone. There is nothing inside of me to muster up. I am totally, completely dependent on my creator. I have wanted this dependence on God for a long time. I never imagined this is how I would truly come to know my savior. Oh, how I wish this could have been different, but in some strange way, I am thankful that God has brought me to this point. I don't think I would know him this way without suffering at this level.


“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away,
our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is
preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we
look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. For the
Things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2COR 4:16-18


We had Noah's birthday party on Saturday. That was my goal for the weekend. My little boy and his truck party. He had a great time. I will include some pictures for you to see. After the party, we put up a fall scene in the yard and I planted some pansies for the fall. God was so good to me. While I was weeding out the flower bed, I thought about what God was doing in my life. Just like those weeds, He is pulling out things in my life that need to be gone! As I pulled the weeds, I thought "Here comes pride, selfishness, greed, self-pity, anger, bitterness, no love for the lost..." I knew I had to get to the root of those weeds. It was hard, but I dug and dug until I got to the root. I did not want them to come back! At one point, I had to get Carlton to help me. Some weeds had roots that were so deep!!! Then the dirt was clean and beautiful. There were no more weeds. As I planted the pansies, I thought about how God is planting things in my life that will bear beauty and life. Many of those pansies, I don't know about. I know God has many beautiful things in store for my life. I have to trust in Him and His plans, not my own.


I will write again soon.

9 comments:

Kimberly and Jonathan said...

Aimee,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, they were well said. I know about suffering and I think that everything you said about God's grace when you are suffering is so true. Thank you for sharing your heart. That's funny you were thinking about weeds like sins being pulled out of your life, Jonathan and I were just talking about that very same thing not too long ago as we were doing yard work also.
We are praying for you, your family and sweet Sophie.
Love,
Kimberly 1 chronicles 29:11-12 is a favorite verse of mine, I recite it to myself often.

Anonymous said...

Aimee,
Thank you for opening up your heart and sharing with us. Your words are beautiful and inspiring. Sophie has had such an impact on my life. Because of her my prayer life has strengthened and I feel my walk with God getting ever so stronger. Your family is such an example of faith and God's grace. Your family continues to be in my prayers!
I love you!
Jessica

Anonymous said...

Aimee,
WOW! I am speechless! What a testimony your family is! I have sat here in my classroom with my children doing their morning work, sobbing like a baby. Several of them have come up and asked me "what's wrong Mrs. Hudson?" I am sitting here trying to examine myself and wandering if Christ's love would shine through me, and did His love shine through me through our time of loss several years ago, as it is through you and Carlton in such a time of anguish. Thank you for ministering to me, because you truly have, and what a ministry you are going to have to families who will go through this very thing down the road. Know that I am praying for you, your strength and peace; for Carlton to continue to be the rock that he has been for you, Hannah Grace, and Noah; for Carlton's strength and peace; for Hannah Grace and Noah and their understanding and faith; and most of all...for a MIRACLE! GOD IS THE HEALER! Thank you for sharing your heart. You are constantly on my mind. I love you very much!
Amy Hudson

Anonymous said...

Aimee,
You and Carlton have been on my mind everyday since I heard about Sophia. I have been praying for all of you. I just checked my email and got both of your letters and tried to fight back the tears as I sat in Panara reading them. I am so encouraged by the Lord's work in your life. I only hope that I would be able to respond the way you are if I were to ever go through something like this. I love to hear of your deep dependence on Him and the intimacy you are experiencing in this time of suffering. We do have such a gracious God. He is good. He does love you.
As I have been thinking about sweet sophia I have been reminded
of God's grace on my own life. Oh how I am not grateful enough for the salvation that I have been given. I constantly want more and think I deserve His blessings. I long to see my small trials as you described the weeds! Thank you so much for sharing your heart. I miss you aimee! I love you, Carlton, and the kids. Tell Hannah Grace I said hello and I love her. Give Noah a kiss for me. I am praying for all of you.
Traci

Anonymous said...

Aimee, I love you and think of you daily. My prayers and the prayers of my church family in Jackson, Mississippi and my own family and friends scattered here and everywhere are with you! You have so many people lifting you and Carlton up in prayer; more than you will ever know. God bless you and thank you for your story as you are witnessing to so many of us with your strength and wisdom. Sweet Sophie is making a life long impression on so many of us. God bless you, Carlton, Hannah Grace and Noah. (And happy belated birthday to Noah; your children are just beautiful!?

All Our love,
Shea
Shea, Lilly and Cratin Luckett

Anonymous said...

Aimee,
I love you! I am praying for you and all of your family. You are an inspiration to many people and will be to so many more. I miss you and am thinking of you daily. Thanks for sharing with everyone.
Love you Always,
Camille

Anonymous said...

Aimee,
I love you so much. You are such an inspiration to me and everyone that knows you. If I could take away your pain, I would. But then again, God has chosen you and Carlton for this special journey with Sopie. Your faith and strength are helping so many people. God always has a plan and purpose. I feel special that he has chosen Sophie Ann, my granddaughter and namesake, to reach people. What an awesome God!
Love you, Mama

Anonymous said...

Amiee,
Thank you for your precious spirit and for sharing your journey. Sophie is bringing so much to the lives of our family as we pray for you, Carlton, Hannah Grace, Noah, and Spohie daily. Sophie was inspiration as one of the children had a struggle come upon them last week. As Bruce counseled with them, Sophie and your family was brought into the conversation and my child was inspired to look and see what God was teaching them in the situation. They were inspired and helped by your family's journey. Thanks for sharing about the weeds! God really touched me through your words. We love you all and will continue to lift you up to the Father. 2Corn.12:9-10
Tammy

Anonymous said...

Time passes for us, and the newness of Sophie's condition seems to lag in the background of our minds---not so, for the Weathers, and especially for you, Aimee. I often wonder about the conversations that you have with her; the love language only known between mother and child. I marvel at the way you are demonstrating to the world that our God makes no mistakes, that He plans our destiny in the eternal counsels of His own perfect will. I love the phrase, The School of the Unoffended; none of us want to attend that school, but once there we see Christ as a most awesome kind Schoolmaster. You and Carlton are demonstrating that to a world that needs not to hear it but to see it. I do love you.