Candy Monster by Deena McDaniel Positively Beautiful Blog

 Candy Monster by Deena McDaniel Positively Beautiful Blog

 

The wedding day always arrives with the unknown unknown. If you’ve ever planned for an event, you know you prepare for everything you can think of to make the day run smoothly. For the past 15 years, I’ve produced the Christmas event “Christmas Near The Beach,” where over 5,000 people join me for a time to boldly and loudly proclaim the wonder of Christ in Christmas. I should have no problem with 50 people at a wedding. Right? It’s beautiful how God shows off his glorious power. He did that wedding day on March 12, 2022.

 

 

Without a hitch, the wedding pulled together in spectacular fashion. The rain held off to a small sprinkle. The cool front moved in as vows were exchanged. The photos even had a “horns down” photo of the wedding party. After all, the Bride may not have been Sooner born but she was Sonner bred!  Everything was winding down to introduce the bride and groom to the reception when it occurred. Blood-curdling screaming came from our granddaughter Arlowe. Our daughter Mary had Arlowe scooped up in her arms. This tiny toddler of 3 was clearly in a great deal of pain grabbing her arm. “Owie, Owie, Owie!”Arlowe kept repeating. Arlowe had injured her arm as Mary held her hand when Arlowe leaned back with a big pop! No swelling. No clear signs of a broken arm, but completely in pain Mary carried this sweet ball of energy to the dressing room. Arlowe continued to whale in pain.

 

 

Should we sweep her off to the E.R? Should we wait it out? "Lord help us" is all I could think.  Philippians 4:19- “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” On went the wedding reception. “Welcome for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Desmond Collins!” our pastor announced as the new couple entered the reception. The juxtaposition of joy and beauty in one room and pain and sorrow in the other room played out. My heart was happy and sad at the same time. I continued to pray and ask the Lord for guidance.

 

I checked several times and no change. Mary tried not to cry as her sweet little one writhed in pain. Sobs slowed down but clearly, there was an issue. God cleared my thinking and I remembered one of Desmond’s best friends' mom and dad were holistic doctors and were in attendance! I knelt next to the two and explained the situation where I thought it didn’t warrant an E.R. trip but thought maybe it was just a popped tendon. When Mary was only 6 months old I’d grabbed her as she crawled to the wood stove and popped her elbow. At that time, I thought I’d broken her arm. I had a sense Arlowe was experiencing the same popped elbow. Mary needed the doctor’s opinion. God was ready to work his grace. Arlowe is not so keen on older men and in stepped a grey-haired older man and his wife. Doug and Soo are not only holistic doctors but missionary doctors who have been in many strange situations to aid the sick.

 

Abby’s boyfriend Joey zipped out for children’s Motrin. The doctor began the diagnosis. I went back to the party. Several times I popped in to see but was waved away. God was working through this unknown unknown we’d not planned. I saw Mary in the back of the reception with Arlowe in her arms. All was quiet. Next, I saw Arlowe dancing with Mickey. I saw Arlowe on the dance floor with all the adults doing the dance moves in unison with them? Yes from E.R. bound to Glory to God!

 

“The Candy Monster” came to the rescue. Dr. Doug had given himself that name and in a short amount of time gained Arlowe’s trust enough to pop her arm back into place. You couldn’t hold back this 3-year-old from capturing the hearts of the audience as she twirled, toppled to the floor and high kicked her tiny bare feet in the air.  “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.-Romans 11:36 Jesus thank you!

 

It’s never a coincidence how God works. He was simply building our faith in how he works. Arlowe had begun her life with a prolapsed cord (cord first which can cut off the oxygen and kill the baby.) She came out C-section unscathed. I’m sure if you thought about it you could share a testimony or two of the Glory of God descends upon a situation. Thank you, Lord, for working out the extremely horrible situation to bring glory to your name. Arlowe will indeed someday have another mishap happen. We all have “things” going on in our lives. And let’s all recognize it’s not a happenstance of “is there a doctor in the house.” God knew. He alone was there to work in our lives to build our faith. Tests always bring out a “test-a mony.”  The unknown unknown is nothing compared to the God who is known.  ^“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,  who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,  but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,  being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”-Philippians 2:5-8   May he make himself known to you too!