The Wilderness | Isaiah 43:19

Here's the story:

The White family were on a road trip in April of 2025 when they needed to seek shelter from a tornado in Kentucky. The family of four pulled over after they heard the tornado sirens. They assumed they would wait it out for a few moments before getting back on the road. They took cover under a church awning, they prayed together and waited for the storm to pass. But things got worse and a piece of debris came through their vehicle and hit their son Bentley in the head. He was 8 at the time. To hear the events of that night, it is truly one miracle after another that he made it to the hospital. But he did and he has kept fighting. It has been a long road, but Bentley continues to heal and progress as he recovers from his brain injury.

At the same time all this was going on, I was battling with my own son Noah through cancer, but I had heard about what this family was going through from one of my sisters and brother in law that are close to this family. I would get updates to know how to pray. (If you want to follow Bentley's healing journey or if you want to know how to pray for this sweet family you can go to their facebook page: Bentley's Battle: A Warrior's Fight. They live in Nixa now! I just found their page and look forward to praying this guy forward.)

Around Christmas, Bentley's grandma reached out to me in hopes that I could paint something special for their new home when I was able. (At the time of the accident they were moving back to Missouri.) I am not currently able to take orders but I made an exception for this family, if they weren't in a rush. They said they could wait. My heart was tied to theirs. I started chatting with the parents about what would be meaningful to them. They shared that actually something I had written in one of my posts had been meaningful to them as I described the wilderness season we had been living through. They had as well. For very different reasons we were living in hospitals and our lives were forever different. They sent me this verse highlighting this portion of Isaiah 43:19:

"I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."

They wanted a statement piece for their home with these elements:

-Wilderness

-Mountains

-Earth tone colors

Bentley's dad, Thomas, said, "We want it to serve as a reminder of where we have been and how God has been with us and getting us (Bentley) back to the Mountain top."

Now... you guys, listen to this-- the amazing thing that ONLY God could orchestrate, unbeknownst to me, I completed the artwork on the actual anniversary of the accident... AND on that same day they received their official certificate of occupancy for our home. What?!?! I had no idea! I was just "working it into" my calendar... or so I thought. But God wanted to send this family a message: I see you! I'm in the details. I AM making a way through the wilderness.

I wept.

To watch God work in that way made me feel even more in awe of the way He loves to love us. It stirred my faith and I believe it did theirs as well. You can't deny that sort of thing. I know they are face to face with watching God meet their needs and bring about the miracles in and through Bentley's life. That boy is a walking miracle! He had to learn everything all over again. And he is speaking! Pray along with this family for God to restore and heal Bentley -- all for God's glory and for their joy!

I pray this piece ministers to you as it has me.

Do you need Him to make a way? Good news: He IS the WAY!