Skip to main content

Keeping A Smile

Aimee Copeland
Some of you might be wondering who she is. I'll tell you. Aimee Copeland is a University of West Georgia grad student whose body was attacked by a flesh-eating virus after a zip-lining accident in early May. The above picture was taken the day she was released from the hospital. The virus took both her hands and a leg, yet there she is with a smile on her face.

Her smile was the first thing I noticed when I first saw the photo. To be honest, I didn't notice the bandages on her arms until afterwards. I was mesmerized by her smile.

I kept wondering to myself if I would have a smile on my face after going through what she's been through. The answer is no. I've been frowned up for days over much less. And I'm so ashamed.

When I pointed out Aimee's smile to my father, he shrugged and said, "What else can she do?" In my head I thought. she could cry...she could yell to keep the cameras out of her face...she could be depressed...she could attempt to take her own life rather than live with her amputations...

Or she could smile like she's doing. I don't know her, but if I ever met her I would ask why she was smiling in this picture. Maybe she's thinking it could be much worse. Or maybe she rests on the Word of God found in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18: So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.


Whatever the reason for it, Aimee's smile reminds me that no matter what God is still God and He is still good.


Comments

  1. AnonymousJuly 17, 2012 at 9:37 PM

    Amazing isn't it..goes to show we shouldn't complain about anything. She's probably smiling for the simple fact that she's still alive despite her circumstance. I work with Children with various developmental disabilities and everyday I'm reminded how bless I am.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousAugust 7, 2012 at 7:49 AM

    Maybe she's smiling because she's taking a picture.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Josie JamesSeptember 19, 2012 at 11:27 PM

      Maybe...but (IMHO) the fact that she is gracious enough to smile after what she went through speaks volumes.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ride or Die

I love this phrase. There are quite a few subtle variations on the meaning, but it is an urban colloquialism that means loyalty, no matter what. I thank God that I have been blessed with a few people that have that kind of loyalty to me and I to them. It's a rich blessing that have true friends. They are with me and in my corner no matter what (or "regardless of what" as one of them would say). This week we had Vacation Bible School at my church and I was privileged to be a teacher. The first lesson was taken from Daniel chapter three. The very well known story of the three Hebrew boys: Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego. It is a wonderful story of faith, but something jumped out at me so profoundly that it almost knocked me over. We always focus on the deliverance. But the Hebrew boys did not. Their focus was on God and Him alone. They were ride or die for the Lord. Literally. If you read the story, they never once pray for deliverance. They talk about God's a
2 comments
Read more

Rocks, Gravel, Sand and Water

Let me first start by saying that I cannot take credit for the following example, as I did not originate it. In fact, I was listening to Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah and I was so touched by what he shared that I thought I would share it with all of you. Let's say I have a large, empty 5-gallon jar. If I place fist sized rocks into the jar until no more can fit, is it full? Before you answer, let me say that after I place the rocks in the jar, I pick up a bag of gravel and begin to pour that into the jar. Where does the gravel go? In between the spaces left by the rocks. After I fill the jar to the brim with gravel, is it full? Before you answer, consider this: I pour a bag of sand into the jar. Where does the sand go? Into the spaces left by the gravel, of course. After filling the jar to the brim with sand, is it full? Before you answer, consider this: I pour a pitcher of water into the same jar. Where does the water go? Into the spaces between the grains of sa
2 comments
Read more

Missed Opportunities

*So....I'm going to be asking for a little audience participation on this one. Please, please oblige me (just this once...lol). Have you ever been in a situation with no clue of what to do? In the moment your mind is reeling and you're desperately trying to figure out how to act or what to say. Of course, later on when you're far removed from the stress of the situation, a million things pop into your head as to what you should have said or what you should have done?  Well, that happened to me yesterday, except I am still unclear as to what I should have said or done. I just kept thinking, " Come on, Josie! Think! What would Jesus do? " But to my chagrin, I came up woefully and hopelessly blank. Here's the scenario:  I am currently doing contract, project-driven work. It's not steady, but for the time being it is my Brook Cherith (see 1 Kings 17:2-6), so I'm not complaining (out loud). I started a new project last week and found out t
6 comments
Read more