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Need You Now Plumb Contest Entries

Details: Category: Blog; Published: Friday, 04 October 2013 15:32

We had some incredible entries of hope & faith submitted for the "Plumb in Vermont" contest. Here are a selection of entries to inspire you to keep trusting God through all of life's ups & downs. Names have been removed.

Participants were asked to tell us about a time you needed God in your life.

My husband and I need God on a daily basis. We have been struggling with infertility for over three years now.
It's a daily battle. It was actually during this struggle that I really foundGod to be my great comforter.

We praise The Lord for all of the blessings in our life because they are aplenty. We know that he will provide
the desires of our heart when the time is right in his will. We need God every day.

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I would say it's a giver that we all need God in our life all the time but there are special moments which really call
for God. One of mine was when I lost my Mother. I can't explain the emotions other than I felt so numb and dead
inside. When I cried to God I found I had no words... but I knew He was listening anyway. I could feel the prayers
going up for me... I wouldn't want to imagine how I'd done it on my own.
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I'm so grateful to have turned to God when I lost my unborn child. I was well into my second trimester with my 5th
pregnancy and something wasn't right. I had prepared my heart for the worst but didn't expect what I was told. It
was a terrible experience but one I am grateful for because I knew then I was fully following Christ. He carried us
through and my church family lifted us up and a year a a bit later we all rejoiced with our next blessing, a new
baby girl to love. What an enriching journey it was, even though it was tough. I thank Him for preparing my heart
and for my personal relationship cause nothing less would have carried me through!

I need God in my life everyday, but I remember one time in particular when I needed Him the most. My daughter
was born with cerebral-palsy and shortly after her third birthday she was hospitalized after hours of having a
major seizure. She was in the hospital for over 9 months and her condition just kept getting worse. We had |
many close calls of losing her,but she always pulled through. Then, on a day when my dad was down with her
and I was having some time with my mom, he called me and said that she wasn't doing very well, and her oxygen
level was falling lower and lower. So, I drove down, not really knowing what to expect. When I got to CHEO they
moved us into a room where we could all just gather and love on her. The nurse came in to get me to tell me
my mom was on the phone. I went to the nurses station and talked to my mom, and then as I walked back to
her room, I just began to pray. I was so terrified and I didn't know how I was going to go manage watching my
little girl die. It felt like God reached down and held me, and I felt this peace, that I can't even begin to explain.
5 minutes later, my daughter passed away. I felt at peace for her and myself. It was the most incredible
moment, and it was that night that I gave my heart to the Lord. He really saved us both that night.

A time when I needed God?

Good morning, Jesus.....as I sip on my coffee I thought I'd write to you and share my little note with the staff
members at CHRI..... As YOU know.....when Mom passed away a year and a half ago, my world turned upside
down...how could my best friend be "taken away"? how did the cancer come back? how was Mom just fine a few
months before she passed? All these questions I would ask you, Jesus....and I could feel you with me saying "Be
still, my child.....mom is with Me......I've got her, I've got you...."I needed God and He was there. I could feel Him.....
I could feel Mom, too....

Mom brought me to God in 1998......That was her biggest gift to me......she taught me to pray...shared her faith
withme.....and her love of music. :) (that's when CHRI came into my life)

I sing daily now....great way to get emotions out~ and well~PLUMB ROCKS. I am a psychotherapist....clients
are vulnerable with me....sharing their deepest hurts.....I deal with a lot of grief and loss atwork and therefore call
on God every day, every session to give me the strengthto be fully present with my hurting clients.

I need God everyday, every hour. God, I need you now. :)

I always need God every moment of my existence. But,the very time that I needed HIM the most was when my
husband died in front of my eyes! I was shaking, crying and asking our Pastor to come and be with us in the
hospital. For at that moment, I wanted to hug my God and say "My God, thank you for your strength unto me
and to my daughter that you will continuously help us/me to carry this burden in our/my lives," which HE did. I
had very sad days and loneliness, but every time I call on HIM, HE would pick me up and carry me with HIS arms.
Those were the times that I needed God the most ~> on those struggling and painful years of my life!!

A time we needed GOD. Not long after we married 1995 my wife was told she had tumors on her ovaries.
Chances for children was 30% naturally, not good odds. After surgery, a year later with no success we were
camping when she realized something wasn't right once again. Two ultrasounds later it was confirmed another
tumoron the only piece of ovary we had left. So I decided not to accept this reportand hit my knees along with my
wife, family, church, WE NEED GOD. Doctors said they would remove any viable eggs for future considerations.

Day of surgery without much sleep I dropped my brokenhearted wife at the hospital and left. Returning 4 hours
laterto find she had been in recovery for 3 hours. WHAT?? as I approached her in the room she began to cry
heavily. All I could understand from her was these three words "they found nothing." just a healthy ovary and
no clinical explanation. GOD had worked a miracle in our lives that day.I serve an awesome GOD, 18 years
later I have a healthy wife, three beautiful children, and one vasectomy. GOD IS GREAT.

My wonderful mom was diagnosed with terminal stage 4 lung cancer (hereditary). This resulted in mom feeling
very angry ever since. I have asked God to give me the strength for myself and my mom. Give me the strength to
give my mom positivity and love always. We just found out today that the cancer has come to a halt and shrunk.

I am only 13, but I have needed God many times in my life... Last summer I felt like no one loved me, I felt
like I was being ignored all the time, my brothers would always be mean and tease me, my best friend, I
thought she was ignoring me, I just felt like I wasn't able to take anything else, there are a lot of other reasons...
I went to bed crying, so I prayed to God and I asked him to show me that he loved me...

The next day Plumb's song "Need You Now" came on the radio and I started crying again.. But after that God
showed me that I am loved and that he will never stop loving me!

I need God all the time. I've suffered from depression & anxiety since my early teens. I now have a wonderful,
supportive husband, but I still struggle every day. Plumb has been a great source of motivation in my life; her
lyrics are so powerful& I can really relate to them. Also, Plumb is one of the artists that really encouraged my
husband to seek out God.

Our son, was almost two and a half years of age. His first of three sisters had just been born a few
months earlier.

I returned from aministry trip to find my wife bundling up the two children, waitingfor a taxi to take them to
the hospital where they were to meet ourpediatrician. My wife was in apanic. Our son had been given so
memedication for a simple ear infection a few days earlier. He had some sort of reaction and had returned
to the clinic with him the day before. For some reason, the doctor on call that day decided to increase his
dosage of the medication! Now, the next day, he was much worse. My wife called the pediatrician, described
his symptoms, and was told to meet him directly at the hospital emergency as hesuspected a severe allergic
reaction to the sulfa drugs he had been prescribed. This was the moment I had returned home. I did not
recognize my own son! His body had ballooned to twiceit's normal size!

His breathing was greatly laboured. I helped put on a snowsuit on him and out thedoor we ran. The doctor
was waiting forus at the hospital and told my wife to immediately return home with our newborndaughter,
which she did by taxi. Iremained at the hospital with Nathan. Hewas immediately rushed to the ICU and
placed on a breathing machine and theybegan pumping his little body full of different medications in attempt
toreverse the reaction to the sulfa drugs. It took several hours, but he finally began to stabilize. He needed
tospend the night for observation.

They prepared a cot for me to sleep on in his hospitalroom. His little body was still hookedup to lots of
machinesand wires and I felt to helpless. Somehow, I was finallyable to sleep after having spent a lot of time
in prayer. However, in themiddle of the night, suddenly, there were loud beeps and warning signals going off
and an emergency team of nurses and doctors came rushing into theroom. His's heart had stopped and
there were other complications. As theyworked frantically to save him, I was pushed back to the corner of
the room and could do nothing but pray as I heard them screaming, "we're losing him,we're losing him,"
which soon changed to "we've lost him, we've losthim!" Tears once again stream downmy face now as I
recall the emotions, yet, I KNEW God's peace and He filled mewith His presence and I KNEW it was okay.
Even if God chose to take my son to be with Him, I KNEW it was God'splan and that He loved me.

Then, just as quickly as they had "lost" him,someone said, "I've got a pulse!" He was back...and just as
quickly, returned to "normal!" I can't explain it... the doctors couldn'texplain it, but within hours, Nathan
was back to being the rambunctious, activeboy that he was!

How in the world people who don't know the Lord survivethese types of experiences, I don't know. God
carried me through that one and all of life's "bumps"along the way. This is why I continue topraise Him
every day! Today, my son is a 31 year old man who loves God. He was married 5 weeks ago to a
lovely girl. He is a success in the eyes of the world, but most importantly, he seeks after the Lord.

In 2008, I went through a separation that I did notwant. I thought God was playing a trick on me
because I could not makesense of my situation. I needed God to show me what to do, how to
handleit, where to turn. I have prayed and prayed for guidance and have kept hearingthe word
‘Wait’. And so, I waited and waited and in fact, I am still waiting. Ihave received no definitive
answer from God as to what my next step should be,however, with each day, I realize this situation
is not in my hands. This isnot for me to decide. I will wait until the answer is crystal clear. I will follow
God, and continue to pray about my situation, because the decision is too bigfor me to make. Yes, I need

God to work this one out for me. I need God morethan ever as time passes.

My daughter is 21 and has gotten through a drugaddiction...addicted to oxycoten, she still smokes pot and
drinks, but I am glad she got through the heavieraddiction. When she is ready, she willget rid of the other
vices...and to help her with that, i'm hoping to get herinterested in God by showing her the more fun side of
religion.
I prayed oftenwhen she wasn't coming home at night...we fought, she hated me, etc. Praying helped me
through it. I grew up going to Catholic church every Sunday...but Istopped going as an adult. I brought my
kids when they were younger but only like 6 times a year or so. We don't go to church...she doesn't live
with me either. Even if we don't win, could you ask your listeners topray for my daughter. She is a
beautiful person who needs strength from God to help her through the bad choices she hasmade the last
few years of her life.

I have never needed God morethan now, since I have become a parent. I am a stay-at-home mom with three
kids, and I recently started homeschooling them. I have loved beingat home with my kids, and I'm so
thankful that I can watch them grow and learnand discover God's world, but I am also constantly reminded
that I could neverdo it on my own. God helps me get through the tantrums, the disobedience,and the
difficulties of raising children, and He also reminds me of the sins inmy own life. I am so thankful for
how God has provided for me, and how Hehas helped me get through some of the challenges I've
encountered throughparenthood in only a few short years, and I am soooo grateful that He will bethere to
get me through the many more years I have ahead of me!!

My husband and I have been married for 12 years now. Allthrough our life he has struggled with an
addiction to alcohol. At this onepoint in the midst if our struggles, I was broken. Couldn't find a way
out ofwhat we were in.

I was driving to work one day just crying out to God forsomething/anything.

Guidance, wisdom, peace... I was listening to CHRI andPlumbs song came on, "I need you now"
I felt Gods love poor out on mein that moment like never before. It was the exact cry of my heart
and heanswered my prayer through that song. It was when she says "how many timeshave u given
me the strength to just keep breathing"

He is always right there with us even if it doesn't feelor look like it. We wait to hear "that still small
voice" and inthat moment, I did. Everything was going to be ok. And it is ok. Those moments with
our Heavenly Father are so precious andI am so thankful he used that song to speak to me!!!

The time I needed God was when my Grandma passedaway from Alzheimer's. I was by her bedside
holding her hand as she struggledto take her last breath. God gave me a peace at this time because
I knew thatone day soon she was going to be with her Maker, Jesus

Well, I agree with the old hymn (esp. Jars ofClay version featuring Martin Smith) that "I need you every
hour in joy orpain". A time though, when I was esp. aware of my needfor God in my life was when I was
needing to show compassion and kindness to mybrothers and sisters when my mother died. It was
particularly difficult because three of the six of us were grieving in a hostile way.

An encouragement from Oswald Chambers has always helped me with this.
Jesus expects us to act justly and kindly; never expect it from others butalways, as a child
of God, give it.

I can doall things through Christ who strengthens me.

A versethat I have repeated in my head many times to get through a situation. Frombeing raised in a
home with addicted parents, to rebelling against the systemwho said they would protect me, to
learning to live by God’s promise and leaveit all behind.

Each day asI still continue to work through the scars and allow healing, God reaches in and
helpless me to jump of the fence and trust.

While just 12 weeks pregnant with our third child it was discovered that I was in heart failure
and had a possible blood clot in my heart. I gave birth to our daughter. Everyone was very
happy as we thought that my heart had not gotten worse throughout the pregnancy. A few
months later I ended up back in the hospital, but this time in the Cardiac Care Unit with my
heart barely functioning. If that wasn't enough within 5 days I ended up in emergency surgery
for complications from my Crohn's disease, and one week later I suffered a cardiac arrest
in the middle of the night. This is not something that any birthing class or book prepares
you for. We hear the sad stories of new moms who have to leave the hospital without their
newborn, but we never really hear the stories about when the father is having to care for a
young family while the mother is in the hospital fighting for her life.

God was truly there when we needed him most. He brought our family through the darkest
of days and even made us stronger. While I have never fully recovered, God has continually
been there, strengthening, and providing for us!

I've being saved for almost 13 years, my family andfriends talked about a Paul conversion,
I was nasty and mean, I was callingmy-self born against!, when Christ entered my like he
turned me upside down, heredeemed my marriage, my family and friends, I can't express all
therecognition I have for the sacrifice Jesus did for me.

The time inmy life when I needed God the most, I believe, is when I found out that my 17 year
old nephew (my brother’s son) committed suicide.

That newssent me on a downward spin and really shook my faith. I’m the worship leader atmy
church and I was unable to sing for 1 month because it just made me wail. Icouldn’t keep learning
the guitar for a year. Music was just difficult.

My faith,now, is more real because of what I went through 2 years ago.

I don’t praise God for the tragedy...but I do praise Him for being true to HisWord...He never left me.