Angelica Grace Designs Blog

Friday, April 11, 2008

FINGERPRINT FRIDAY

My sweet sweet friend Beki, from Pampering Beki blog spot, came up with a brilliant idea to start doing "fingerprint Friday." She's asking for her blog readers to participate in this so I jumped right on it. What is "Fingerprint Friday" you ask? Well, here is exactly how Beki explained it earlier on her blog today:
I've been thinking about doing this for a long time now and I'm excited to finally launch Fingerprint Friday! There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that says:
I can see the fingerprints of god
When I look at you I can see the fingerprints of god
And I know its true, You're a masterpiece
That all creation quietly applauds
And you're covered with the fingerprints of god.

So look around you and see where YOU can see God's fingerprints. Snap some pictures and share on your blog! Is it in nature? Kids? Animals? Where do you see them? Hopefully this will make us look at things through fresh eyes throughout the week!

I applaud Beki for her creativity with this project. You can find her blog here (http://pamperingbeki.blogspot.com/) and watch throughout the week for others and their ideas on God's fingerprints. I just love the thought process behind it. With that said, Kenidi and I loaded up in the car earlier, with "Razzi" (my camera) in tow, and hit some favorite spots of mine as well as snapped shots of things that met the "fingerprints" requirement. At least in my eyes anyhow. I truthfully see God everywhere, in everything, everyday. However, this is a small glimpse into where I saw him most today when I studied the idea of Beki's fingerprint Friday project.

First up, my children. I see God's fingerprints in the smiles of Brennen and Kenidi every second of every passing day. They are both nothing short of miracle's as are all children in this world.
Secondly, as I pull in and out of our neighborhood 500 times a day, I'm blessed to see this. There is not a day that goes by, rain, sleet, snow, etc., that I don't look over at this area as I come and go and think that it is just gorgeous. It is part of the front entrance of our sub-division. I see God's fingerprints on many things here. The nature scene, the geese, the flowing water in the creek, the growing grass, and so on. There are hundreds of living things in this one shot below - some visible - some not - that are God's creations. They are things that have his fingerprints all over them & each of them serve major importance's on this earth.
The next place I see God's fingerprints and have continued to see his fingerprints is in our community recently. Last year on February 3rd, 2 young boys (Jake & Travis Findley) were killed on the railroad tracks you see below as the car they were passengers in was struck by a moving train. They were riding with parents of another young friend of theirs. Those parents and their son survived the accident-thankfully. However, Jake and Travis did not. The phone call had to be made to their Mom and Dad that their only two children - their two sons - were dead and would never come home again. In an instant, this Mom and Dad went from having two children to having none. Our pastor went to the hospital that night and spent hours praying with them as did many other of their friends and family members. However, when all was said and done and they left the hospitals late that night, they ultimately went home to an empty house. No sons - no laughter - no whining from kids - just deafening silence from that day forward. I remember how emotional Brent and I were when we heard the news and learned of the outcome. We cried many tears together for that family that night and over the past year. We had passed the train accident that night on our way home from dinner (it was right around the corner from our neighborhood) but had no idea who was involved or what it all entailed until the next day. At the time of the accident, there were no rail road crossing arms at those tracks. There was a stop sign there but the tracks are in a tight location and its very hard to see a train coming until its too late sometimes. From the moment Jake and Travis passed away, the community rallied around the Findley parents and formed the "arms of life" fund in memoriam of those two boys. In the past year, our little hometown community has raised over $700,000 for the arms of life fund so that the three crossings in this area can receive arms and lights to prevent tragedies like this from ever happening again. This past Monday, there was a dedication ceremony at the tracks where they were killed. They had finally raised enough money to install the arms and lights at the crossings. Tons of people from our community came out for the ribbon cutting ceremony and the releasing of two white doves in Travis and Jake's honor. To say the event was moving would be an understatement. To say that God's fingerprints were all over these families, the business owners and mere strangers that donated funds to make this happen, the local politicians that helped pass the ordinance and bills to allow this to take place, etc. would be a HUGE understatement.
As you look at these brand new shiny-5 day old- crossing arms and lights, know without a shadow of a doubt that they weren't there a year ago and they are only here now because of God's fingerprints. This is a sign and stuffed animal at the crossing. The sign is dedicated to the Findley boys. To learn more about this particular story and the updates, follow these links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyjLLzGduss
http://www.armsoflife.com/
Back to my motto that I live by on a daily basis...."There will be years that ask and there will be years that answer. In the end, God NEVER wastes pain."
Speaking of pain...these two crosses you see below are nailed to a tree right around the corner from me as well. These two crosses belong to two of my best girlfriends from back in the day. When you see all of my "girlfriends" that grace the pages of this blog from time to time, Tracy and Ann are missing from those pictures. They were both only 14 years old when they left this earth. My girlfriends and I were saying the other day that they have been dead longer than they were even alive. It's so hard for all of us to make sense of it. It's a day and a tragedy that will never escape our minds and one that will be a constant reminder for us as our own kids grown up and begin driving or riding with other teenagers in other cars. We were freshman in high school when they were killed in a car accident on a rainy September morning. It was a complete accident but yet one that could have been prevented. Through the years as I visit their graves, I see the cards, trinkets, and flowers from their parents on holidays or their birthdays and I just literally want to burst into tears. It tears me up from the inside out to think about what those families go thru in order to survive yet one more day without their daughters. Even all these years later, its a horrific wound - a horrific void - for all who knew them. Last fall, my girlfriends and I sat down and signed cards - all together - for their parents around the 18 year anniversary of their death. I still can't believe it has been 18 years since the accident occurred. The girls and I wanted their parents to know that none of us have forgotten them. I mailed the two cards off to their parents once all of us had left our notes in them and signed them. Within days of us mailing them, we got cards and responses back from both Ann and Tracy's families. Both expressed their gratitude for our remembering their daughters and never letting their memory die. In their words though, you can still hear the pain and the day to day struggles regarding life without them. In the end though, God has carried these families through. 18 years later they are here and "dealing." Without God's grace, who knows how these families would have survived or if they could've ever moved on. I see God's fingerprints every time I pass this tree on the road and think about how courageous and strong Ann and Tracy's parents are. They are strong with God.
Tracy would have been 33 years old on April 4th.
Happy Birthday girlfriend!
ABOVE: This note is on my dash. Our pastor at church gave them to us a few months ago. I immediately put it near my odometer in my truck and have left it there ever since. I use it as a visual reminder to never forget how much the Lord does for me and my family. I use it to remind myself that worship with God is not a once in a while thing or a "only do it when my life is a wreck type thing." Worship is a right now, EVERY DAY thing! I see God's fingerprints every time I look at this reminder on my dash and confirm just how far God has carried me in life. I see his fingerprints all over my future and the future of those around me that I love so dearly.
Lastly, this is a sign that I noticed the other day on a local man's business sign. He is a Christian man here in the community that our family knows quite well. When I see signs like this...big, bold, "out-there" signs with instructions for life on them rather than sale details - instructions that are never possible without God there to soften one's heart first, I see his fingerprints again. To have one openly post a sign of this type, he'd have to have God's fingerprints all over his heart.

Where do you see God's fingerprints today? I guarantee you when you ask yourself that question and you begin to look around in search of an answer, you'll be amazed at how many fingerprints he leaves in our world on a daily basis. Thanks Beki! Thanks for an awesome day, an awesome project, and overall just an awesome time of reflection.

6 Comments:

Blogger Beki - TheRustedChain said...

Angie, I am just in tears!! Thank you for such a thoughtful post. You took this so much further than I could have imagined and I'm moved by the places you saw God's Fingerprints today!!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

4/11/2008 5:01 PM  
Blogger Stacey Moore said...

wow ~ what a moving post. thanks for sharing!!

4/11/2008 8:36 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

WOW Angie, that was beautiful!!!

4/11/2008 10:57 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

My word for you is charismatic! You always get my emotions in an uproar. You would make a good preacher Angie. This fingerprint Friday thing is pretty neat, you have the hand of God on you little lady! I only hope all will be able to experience your beautiful talents, xoxoxo mommy

4/12/2008 7:58 AM  
Blogger j said...

This post was so amazing. I hope that I never forget the words.... God never wastes pain. How truly beautiful. I think that it is a singularly Christian trait, that we can see God's fingerprints in tragedy. Praise God!

Be blessed.

Jennifer

4/12/2008 5:29 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Okay, I just read this and the tears are streaming down my face. You always seem to give the that "wake up" call just when I need it most. Thank you Angie- you are such an inspiration to me.

Leighann Quinlan

4/15/2008 12:36 PM  

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