Saturday, December 24, 2016

Merry Christmas from The Etheridges



As I'm typing this to you, it is pouring outside..... The lightening and thunder and pounding-on-the-roof rain is a constant reminder of a year ago.  Not that I'm counting, but we are 3 days, 12 hours away from that fateful day.....and here come the rains.

At one of the Water District meetings I attended earlier this past year, a man whose house had also flooded, stood up and said, "I don't want to be considered the Poster-Boy for Flood Victims."  I squirmed in my seat....felt a sting that I had possibly made myself just that.....the Poster-Girl for Flood Victims.  After all, I had Blogged about this flood most every day for weeks and months and allowed everyone-and-their-mother to walk through the muddy water with us.

Those man's words, whether he realized it or not, were wise words.  Yes, I still feel deep anxiety every time it rains....wake from sleep at the clap of thunder and pray till the rains stop....have friends who start praying for the Etheridge's every-single-time it rains....so I guess we really are the Poster-Family for Flood Victims....like it or not.

But I also hope we are the Poster-Family of God.....remembering the enormous grief He must have felt to allow His only Son to leave the comfort of Heaven, knowing full well the pain He would eventually endure....just to rescue you and me from the flood of life on this earth.   It's proof He loves us just as much.

He was the Poster-Boy of GRACE.

Merry CHRISTmas.......we hope you enjoy our Video-Christmas Card.....

(Click on Link)


11 comments:

Terri said...

Amen my sweet sisterπŸ™πŸ»πŸ™πŸ»
Love ❤️ you

Terri Ruyle

Shirley Burkett said...

I too think of Liz and her husband,and I pray for rain to slow and not to flood again.. so I bet there are a lot of prayers going up for them as we feel the same way.but we have learned through you Liz with Prayers,Friends that prayed and helped...you were a testimony for others and you did it with such Grace! Then Love poured over you with studs written with scripture and more love ..
May this New Year be filled with God winks and miracles for you both!

Liz Hurt said...

Al I can say is, "POWERFUL". I'm speechless and humbled to even know you. But to be able to call you my friend is over the top. May God be praised!
With my love to you both. TOL

Betsy said...

Liz, speechless and raining tears here! Thank you for a perfect Christmas Eve message. Love to you and Chuck

Maaike said...



Beautiful Thank you so much for your Blogs,

Have a Merry Christmas and the best wishes for 2017 !

Love you, Maaike.

Jack Wallace said...

Liz I wanted to call you but I would city like a baby and not be able to speak. I just viewed Chuck and yours video Christmas Card. Oh wow! I was honing in on this approach with the Help from heaven" and the greatest gift of John 3:16. Thank you my friends. Mar and I both had tears of joy while viewing it. May I use it tonight in my Christmas Eve sevice?

Joy Stone said...

Never felt more helpless or more useless as i watched Liz and Chuck struggle thru this mess, conquering all the way, victorious in Jesus, and made new all over again. and in the process, i have been made new, new faith, new hope, new trust. thanks, Liz, for letting us share your journey.

Unknown said...

Well now I'm in tears, what a beautiful video! This particular day has offered so many opportunities to lift others in prayer. It's as if God is trying to focus us. I've been praying off and on since 3:30am for many different situations and that video was just the string that tied it all together into the most perfect gift ever given. God wants our attention, so I'm fixing my eyes on him. Love you guys so much! Merry Christmas!

LeeAnn Sears said...

Beautiful! Praying you have a blessed & merry CHRISTmas!

Have a blessed day!πŸ’—πŸ’•

Kathy Rachal said...

Beautifully done, as always, Liz. You and Chuck prove every day that God is Alive and Well and CARES about His children. Thanks for sharing this reminder, the scriptures engraved under your floor for eternity by those who love you the most. Your story has touched so many watching and praying for Hope. God bless you. Merry Christmas. A Happier New Year in 2017. Someone recently said "Great Joy comes after a great void...and from fulfilled hope". Love you, Kathy

John Kennedy said...

Thanks Liz for sharing this with us, I agree with Joy's every word. although I couldn't get out in it with you, my heart was breaking for you both as the prayers were sent up daily. I sit alone in my luxury sweet at Mission Manor and my time on my phone shows midnight. I think wow it's Christmas, MERRY CHRISTMAS one and all. Then I find Liz's blog, what a blessing! thanks Liz. pain is back so I will stop now, love to all.