In the fall of 1996, Hurricane Fran tore furiously through North Carolina...leaving a trail of devastation from the coast all the way to Orange County. On September 6, those of us who lived in Central North Carolina, awoke to discover a scene of destruction that few could ever have imagined...and none will forget.
The first thing I noticed, as I looked out my neighbors' second floor window, was the dramatic change in the tree line. Grandfather Oaks that had stood proudly for hundreds of years were scattered across the ground like giant pick-up sticks. Just the day before...while watching weather updates with predictions of Fran's likely path...I spoke the words, "I'm not worried. These Oaks (that completely surrounded my restored farmhouse) have been here for 100 years. They will still be here tomorrow." They were gone, and so was my home.
By the time Hurricane Fran blew through Central North Carolina, she had lost steam...dropping to tropical storm strength. With diminished power, she was able to do more damage than previous, more formidable storms...leaving meteorologists, and the rest of us, asking "Why?" Why had so many thousands of our mighty trees bowed to her...seemingly without even putting up a fight?
The questions seemed complicated, but the answers were utterly simple.
Just months prior to Hurricane Fran, Hurricane Bertha blasted North Carolina...dumping massive amounts of rain across the state and striking a silent but destructive first blow to North Carolina tree roots. Following Hurricane Bertha, North Carolina received record-breaking rainfall...leaving the ground saturated and vulnerable. That terrible aftermath was not proof of Hurricane Fran's might...but rather evidence of a dormant weakness that existed within the tree roots. Hurricane Fran merely exposed the weakness.
"Adversity does not build character...it reveals it."
James Lane Allen
Losing my home to Hurricane Fran was one of the most difficult experiences of my life; however, it forced me to reach inside myself to find a strength I did not know existed. It also taught me the difference between the material value of ‘stuff' and the eternal value of people. I lost my possessions, but I had my family intact. It was a lesson in perspective that I have never forgotten.
Nine months ago, another storm crashed into my life...a storm that threatened to destroy that which can never be replaced. This storm has raged violently over my family...shaking me to the core of my being and exposing the cracks in my foundation...my deepest fears.
You see...all of my life...I have been ‘the strong one'. It seemed to me that everyone around me relied on me to hold the pieces together. Whenever a crisis presented, I jumped into action...just as I had always done. I am a fighter...a survivor. Secretly, however, I harbored a fear that one day I would fail...that I would let down the ones who needed me the most.
When I first learned of my daughter's illness, I was devastated...but I knew that it was my duty to be strong for her. I wanted to take her suffering from her, but I was powerless. At times, I was certain that I would break under the pressure...but my God is so faithful. Throughout this assail, He has proven to me over and over again that His strength begins where my strength ends.
John 15:5
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
"His Strength Is Perfect", by Steven Curtis Chapman, is an anointed song that has brought me comfort and reminded me daily that the only strength I have comes from Him. Without Him, I am nothing. Without Him, I can do nothing. I am strong only when my roots are firmly planted in Him...in His word...in His truth...in His everlasting, unconditional love.
His Strength Is Perfect
---Steven Curtis Chapman---
I can do all things
Through Christ who gives me strength,
But sometimes I wonder what He can do through me;
No great success to show, No glory on my own,
Yet in my weakness He is there to let me know . . .
CHORUS
His strength is perfect when our strength is gone;
He'll carry us when we can't carry on.
Raised in His power, the weak become strong;
His strength is perfect, His strength is perfect.
We can only know
The power that He holds
When we truly see how deep our weakness goes;
His strength in us begins
Where ours comes to an end.
He hears our humble cry and proves again . . .
***Photos courtesy of Freefoto.com***
I owe a debt I can never repay to those of you...my dear friends...who have prayerfully loved and supported me through these past months. I have missed you all so much, but you have never been far from my heart. Thank YOU for prayers! Thank YOU for your faithfulness and patience with me during my absence from ActiveRain. GBU!
Elizabeth - You have no idea how much you have been missed. You and your family have been in my thoughts and prayers over the past few months. Stay strong my dearest friend.....we've got a reserved spot waiting for you here in AR. God Bles You and your family.
Elizabeth,
I do not know what happened to your daughter. But I wish and hope that you find the strength to fight it. And that we here on AR will support you in your fight.
My friend Elizabeth- I'm happy to see your words and as always my prayers are with you and your girls. You have displayed a strong "root system" in your faith time and time again and in my book have the moral character of a Saint. I hope you and your family are well and that you know you can call on me for anything I have to offer. God Bless.
Eli,
I know your struggle, I know your fears. I know that feeling of having your faith challenged for a while only to learn that He won't desert you even though it feels like you're all alone.
You know my feelings toward you and the girls - all of them. And I hope that, by now, you know one thing for certain ... above all else in this world ... that if you dial my number, be it wee hours of the morning or late at night I will be there. For you, for Diego and for the girls.
You're not alone. Ever. You just have to open that door sometimes and let people in. We all like to think we are one of those strong and everlasting oaks ... but even they can be toppled by the unexpected. And in that ... there is no shame. There is no failure.
We love you and are here for you - always.
God must have huge plans for you. I recently posted a blog post with this message I had heard years ago. I've kept it in my Smart Phone ever since then....
The size of your enemy is a clue to the size of your promotion. It's not a mis-match. It's a setup. Before God can promote you, He has to introduce an enemy. God has custom-tailored your enemy for you. David never would have become king if Goliath had been a dwarf. Don't make God shrink your destiny. Stop asking for smaller battles & start believing for greater victory.
It sounds like you've already learned these principles a long time ago. I've already read so many incredible testimonies on your blog, I can't wait to see what incredible blessings he has in store for you. Just remember, you can't have a testimony without first having a test =)
Oh. I forgot to mention, you can get FreePhoto images without the logo on them. Just enter an e-mail address, and use the download button instead of right-clicking.
Elizabeth, It is so good to see you. I have thought of you often these last number of months. You are so right his strength if perfect for whatever we need. I'm glad that your roots are firmly planted in him. He is the only one that can give us that peace that transcends understanding.
I have often wondered what that thorn was that Paul had but God did INCREDIBLE work through Paul thorn and all.
Elizabeth, you have been so conspicuous in your absence, and so missed. My heart aches for you, my thoughts and prayers are with you. You are loved.
Elizabeth: You and your family have been in my thoughts and my prayers constantly. I am hoping that somehow you may pull some strength by knowing that you have so many people sending prayers and positive thoughts your way. You have been missed... but we knew you just "out there" being the wonderful Mom you are. Take care... Elizabeth... you continue to be in all of our thoughts and prayers. Gentle huggs...
Hi Elizabeth... this is the nicest surprise that I can imagine... seeing you back here on A|R with us makes my heart happier. I've missed you, my friend, and I'm here for you to lean on anytime you need me. :)
Elizabeth, I have thought of you for months and have prayed that God would bring you through what ever was going on in your life. We're studying "Trusting God" in our small group. I'm happy to know you already are. I will continue to keep you and your family in my prayers! GBU
Hi Elizabeth I have not been on AR as much as I usually am but I have absolutely missed you. You are so much one of ny favorite bloggers. I love who you are and what you stand for, You are truly an inspiration. Somewhere in my absence I missed what was happening in your life and I so apologize. I thought a few times to drop you an e-mail to make sure all was well with you and like good intentions..some never materialize. What ever you are going through just remember all of us that love you and know continual prayers are being said. Thank you for being you...You are loved
God Bless
Elizabeth, Like so many others, I have missed you SO much and sent prayers your way for you and your daugher and your family. I'm thrilled to see you back and I knew you would be back when you could; I know you know you are loved here so much by so many.
Blessings and Prayers continue for you and all those you hold dear. What a beautiful gift to see this morning, your face and post! GBU
Somehow I felt the need to pray for you and even emailed you once in your absence - I don't know what happened to your daughter, but pray she is better. Remember always Elizabeth you have built your house on THE ROCK - GBU my friend
Sincerely,
Grace
Elizabeth - Rhiannon and I have not stopped thinking of you and your family. It is so hard being a mother, there are so many things we can't control and we only want to keep our children safe. We continue to think of all of you and hold you in our hearts.
Eliz............. you did not mention if your little girl was ok or not............
I am featuring this as a prayer request in the group. I hope you don't mind.......
LUV YA!!!
\O/
Hi Sis! You and your family have been in my heart and prayers for months and I've hoped that all would turn out well. How is she doing? What can we do to help? How are YOU holding up?
I have to say--whether or not you know it, you have been sorely missed by all here in the Rain and I, for one, miss you TERRIBLY! God Bless YOU and welcome back.
You will stand strong and tall again .. pulling back and finding a quite still place is not being weak it is being aware of the need to be still and Know God.
Elizabeth - Nice to see your smiling profile pic pop up - hope all is well with your family.
All the best, and good to see you back :o)
Elizabeth,
I have also been away from AR a lot more than I wanted to be over the past months, so I didn't know about all of this, however, I have thought about you a number of times. I've learned over the years to pray for a friend when the Lord brings her to my mind, and so I have even though I don't know the details. I do know that God is sovereign and nothing takes him by surprise.
I'm glad you have strong, deep roots to keep you grounded in challenging times!
Elizabeth it is nice to see you back. I figured you may have taken a break due to your daughter. I hope things are going as best they can. I wish you all the best.
Hi Elizabeth...I missed you but had no idea why you were gone. I thought perhaps you had decided not to continue working in real estate. I wish that was the reason.
I hope your daughter is feeling much, much better.
Take care,
Kate
During my cancer treatment last year, first the help of my girlfirend was so great that I was never alone. When i opened up to people I never knew had so much caring, I let their prayers and meditations give me strength. Hell is being alone or choosing to be.
Elizabeth -- it is great to see you checking in and giving us an update. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and with your daughter.
Elizabeth, our entire family is praying for you. May God bless you miraculously, dear friend!
I'll have to check that song out. My pastor always says, "The secret to the Christian walk is dependence". We lives so busy lives that falling flat on our face in humiliation and/or desparation is "the only way out" Thank God He loves us enough to let us be bruised. What a loving Daddy indeed. Our sufferings are barely a glimpse in the light of eternity.
Hello Elizabeth!
Nice to see you back, I had several members ask me about what had happened to you. Great feature and I look forward to reading some of your blogs within my groups and around "The Rain"
Your friend
Vegas Bob
Dear Elizabeth:
So nice to see your sunny face again in AR. I know first hand what it is like to have a sick child I had my twins both in the hospital within weeks of each other and I honestly lost all sense of who I was other than a caregiver and prayer warrior. My life was on hold. So I pray your daughter is well and you are returning to your life. For me, it took some time to piece back together who I was.
You have been missed and are loved by all here on AR.
All the best! Kelly
Prov 3:5-6
By the way - you, your daughter, and your family are in my prayers. "His power is made perfect in weakness" :)
Elizabeth, glad to see you back. God is all powerful and we are just a pawn in the game of life. All we can do is do our best and hopefully help people along the way.
Elizabeth, like the others here I have missed your words as well and hope all is again better with your daughter. We are all part of this large caring family you know.
May God bless you and your family and continue to give you the strength you need.
Elizabeth... I was just mentioning your name earlier... and hoping all was well. Your roots (both here and at home) are deep. Deep enough to sustain you and all those around you. My thoughts are with you and your family.
Elizabeth: It is great to see you back in the rain and in great spirits..
Elizabeth,
As I am relatively new to AR, you've been absent during my short time, thus far.
As I read your words, one thought: you can't be strong all the time. That leaves no time to recharge. If you can't recharge, then you aren't good to yourself. And, if you're not good to yourself, you can't be good to anyone else, including your daughter.
Hi Elizabeth, It's great to see you back! I hope all is well with you and your family. Like so many here I too have been thinking a lot about you lately and you can certainly see you were missed greatly. Welcome back!!
Hi there, unbelieveable but yesterday I saw someone in a car next to me that looked just like you, and I decided to come find out where you were. And here you are just returning. Whatever you have had to deal with I hope it has come to some sort of resolution. Or at minimum that it is easier to handle....so hard to know without knowing the details....
Just know this my friend...you are never alone.
Elizabeth, so glad to see you back. You and your daughter have been in my prayers. Thanks for writing this beautiful post and we are still praying for you and your family.
Sharon
Elizabeth - My sister, I have dearly missed having you around here. I had a feeling that your absence had something to do with your daughter and her health. Call me when/if you have some time. You are all in my prayers. I've had you on my mind quite a bit lately.
Hey Sis,
Well this evening I opened up AR and my goodness, the computer had broken. Time for a new laptop? Had the hard drive gone crazy, or were my old eyes deceiving me. Because on the top of the list was Elizabeth Nieves. Was something wrong with the program, had I slipped back hundreds of days in time.... NO, Not Really, YOU ARE BACK!!!!!! Ha!
Nice to see your great smile. Jessie and I have been praying for your whole family in general and Avery very specifically. And I see her make hilarious comments on Facebook once in a while. Remember we are here for you, call, email, or tweet. And so far Cancer is getting it's butt kicked at our house which was not the case a couple of months ago, so Praise God some more.
List and Sell (Anyway here's hugs for everyone at your house) Gary @ RentonHomeFinder.com
Great to see you this morning, Elizabeth. I do hope you know you have been missed, and you have been in my thoughts. XXOO
Elizabeth, I have only been here a short while but I was immediately drawn to your writing style and your messages. I was happy to see you back here this morning and I will pray for your daughter and yentire family.
What a beautiful surprise this morning to see you back in the rain! Please let us know if there is something we can do to help. You know you have lots of prayers coming your way!
Elizabeth, I was so happy to see you on my dash board this AM, now reading this post it appears you are going through a health crisis with your daughter. I didn't know. However, I will start to pray for her. Know you can lean on us, you are loved here.
Good morning ma'am,
Your presence around here has been GREATLY missed. I was wondering what was wrong and now I am sorry for your pain and your daughters illness. I will be praying for you and your family. GBU
BTW, I am glad that you are back.
Great article, You will be in my thoughts and prayers. Still feeling the effects of Katrina in New Orleans we all know stuff and things can be replaced. It does alter your views!
My dearest friends...
Your amazing love and support has left me almost speechless...only able to ask "WHY did it take me so long to reach out to you to let you know the need of my heart?" God is my strength...but He also uses the human touch to hold our hearts together and heal our wounds. We need one another. I NEED YOU!
THANK YOU once again for your faithfulness...your tenderness...your compassion and caring!
I want to respond individually to each one of you, but I just do not have the time. I will write a more personal, detailed post regarding my daughter's illness within the next day or so. Thank YOU so much for your prayer!!!!
GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!!
I missed getting to know you before your hiatus from AR, but I share your faith and I too have been through some huge trials that left me with only my faith the lean on. I always keep in mind...God is Good all the Time...All the Time God is Good! Blessings to you and your family!
Elizabeth, I was so happy to see your face on my subscription list just now! I am continuing to pray for your family and am anxious to hear more from you when you have the time to write.
"as I had always done. I am a fighter...a survivor." That's always been me over the years too. It is so good to see you return and I enjoy your insights and also your sources of strength. Like you, I would also do anything to keep my children from suffering or harm and it always amazes me the parents out there who do just the opposite or are too selfish to accept the responsibility and fail to recognize the privilege of being parents. Honestly, I would take a bullet for my family because they are the most precious things in my life!
I have missed your posts over the months and occassionally dropped by and left a commnet or two on some of your older posts just to say hello.
Hang in there and know that you have the thoughts and prayers of many to support you!
It sounds as though you are a fighter, you will get through this. God bless your daughter and family.
Hi Everyone!
Again...thank you ALL for your encouraging words!! I'm trying to make my way around to visit everyone, but it is taking me time. Just know that I'm so anxious to find out what is going on in your lives...and just share a smile. Just please give me a little time. ~GBU~
Again...thank you ALL for your encouraging words!! I'm trying to make my way around to visit everyone, but it is taking me time.
Good evening Elizabeth,
Family comes first. You should spend your time there. Please know that we love you but we're certainly not expecting you to come around and visit our blogs during your time of trial. I pray that God will bring a full healing to your daughter.
Elizabeth I have thought of you often. I know from your posts you have endured so much and know that your daughter was ill. I pray for you everyday and if there is ANYTHING I can do, just know I am here for you. God Bless ~S
Elizabeth- I too did not know about your daughter,but I did know that if you were gone for so long, something must have been wrong. It's funny that I was just thinking of you today, and looked up your blog. You were in my thoughts. Hope things are getting better.
Good luck to you and much strength to you and your family.
How wonderful you blog is and much strength you share with others. You are such a precious woman of God. God bless. Pat Baker
Hey Sis! So happy you posted here! His Strength is Perfect by SCC has been one of my anthems for years!!! Amen! You know that you & your sweet girl Avery, have been in our prayers all along. SIS, sometimes the circumstances of our lives cause us to withdraw for a time, and that's ok. In season & out of season your friends are here for you.
Meanwhile yield to the Masters hands and all will be well.
LOVE you Bunches, G
Best wishes and prayers, Elizabeth, take as much time as you need and know we all miss you.
Elizabeth, I have you on my mind again, like I do every day. Please know I am continuing to pray for your family.
Elizabeth,
I had wondered where you disappeared to, and saw you a minute ago on Harb's blog, so here I am. I opened up another page on AR so that I could listen to Steve Chapman in the background while I read the comments. "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength..."
"He caused the storm to be still,
so that the waves of the sea were hushed.
Then they were glad, because they were quiet;
so He guided them to their desired haven."
Psalm 107:29,30
Lord, let my ship
Ride out the storm,
And let the rudder hold.
And let me steer
A straighter course
Than I have done of old.
Lord, let the rigging
Stay the mast,
And let the mast hold firm;
And let me hear
The buoy toll
To guide me through the storm.
Lord, let the keel
Hold 'gainst the waves
And let the wind die down;
And through the darkness
Let me see
The harbor lights of home.
© Mike in Tucson
Hey Elizabeth,
Just a note to say I am praying for you and your family. God is good. His strength is made perfect in our weakness, and the joy of the LORD is our strength.
Hugs from Houston! :)
Hi Elizabeth,
I have thought of you often these last few months and prayed that you are your family were doing well.
I've had some personal challenges in my life this past Spring and was in and out (mostly out) of the Rain. What a very pleasant surprise to see your post today when I logged on.
All the best to you and your family.
Sandy
God's Blessings and Healing to you Elizabeth! I can't imagine what you are going through, I pray this has turned around for you.
Elizabeth I don't even know what to say. You probably know that from the tears we shared that night. I hurt for you. For all that you have been through, this has to be the hardest. But I know your faith and I know that your past does make you strong and when your not HE WILL carry you. There are a lot of people who will carry you with prayer. Many many many prayers are following you.
continued prayers
Grace
Elizabeth, I knew I missed you, but I didn't know about this. My love to you and your girls. You all will be in my prayers daily........Kay
Hi Elizabeth...I love this tree...I love the power of your story and the connection with courage, learned from trees... I am deeply moved by your testament to listen deeply and prayerfully, IN LOVE... knowing that LOVE is ALL there is...having faith that can move mountains of fear and find us our true roots, our unshakable ground with God... Thank you, with all my heart, for the light you shine and share... with love, Mara
Hi Elizabeth, I have been thinking about you a lot lately. I hope and pray that everything is going okay.
Hi Elizabeth, you are on my mind tonight. May the Lord be with you and your family and bless you. We miss you!
Sharon
Hi Elizabeth, miss you and pray for you and your family. God Bless.
Hi Elizabeth, I'm with Christine. We miss you and pray for you and your family!!!!!!!
Hi Elizabeth. Your value is priceless. I join with other who are praying for you and your family. Be comforted in knowing that good WILL come out of this... no matter HOW things seem or look. God never wastes anything! Be encouraged!
Diane
Elizabeth, prayers are very powerful and you have many praying for your daughters well being. May God bless you, your daughter and your family and continue to give you strength with the hope of finding peace.
Elizabeth: your post touched my heart to the core! Amazing how God sends His Comfort to us when we need it most, through the most amazing means. I'm finding out more and more everyday that this really is one big family. Be encouraged Elizabeth... God can do ANYTHING.. I'm living proof. He healed me of cancer in 1993. I had full-blown cervical cancer. It was confirmed with three tests. I had my church pray for me and it was completely gone. It has been 16 years and every test since has come back just fine. Ill be praying for your daughter.
Hi Sis! Just checking in to see how you're doing? We miss you around here--especially ME!! ;-)
I hope you and yours had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year!
Hello Elizabeth. That was a very intereseting blog. Here in RI we've had our fair share of hurricanes. Mother Nature is most surely unpredictable.
Hi Elizabeth ... How are you? .. Haven't been on the Rain for quite sometime, just came back and was looking for you. Are you doing O.K.? Sylvia