Category: Blessed

Heroes 

by C.C. Hasty, posted in Blessed, Brothers, God Is Good, Heaven, Prayer, Wheelchair

Yesterday, we were finally able to meet the emergency response teams that helped save our boys lives on August 16, 2015. It was such a terrific experience for all of us. They took the time to clarify assumptions that we had such as we thought Jackson and Alex were the last to be airlifted to Vanderbilt when indeed they were the first. Alex did insist that they get his brothers out of the vehicle first. They remarked on how much the brothers cared for one another. They were each concerned about their brothers as they were extracted from the vehicle. We knew it was a miracle that Jacob is capable of walking today, but after hearing about the complexity of his extraction and the severity of his injuries, it is even more apparent now. They showed the boys the tools that were used to help get them out of the vehicle. Allowed them to see inside of the fire truck and ambulances, and even ride in the fire truck. The heroes from Rutherford County Fire Dept., EMS, and SORT Team went above and beyond the call of duty on that fateful day. They continued to care about our boys well-being, even after their job was done. I am forever grateful to each and every one of them. 


Love & blessings, 

C.C.

Heaven is Real 

by C.C. Hasty, posted in Blessed, God Is Good, Heaven, Prayer, Uncategorized, Wheelchair

I was reminded this week of how thankful I am to live in the Bible Belt. When I tell people of Jackson’s visit to heaven, no one laughs at me, ridicules me, or mocks me. The typical  response I receive when telling people about Jackson’s trip to heaven is complete and absolute acceptance. People are excited to hear his story. Almost every single time the listener will comment, “I believe it beyond a shadow of a doubt.” 

I am sure at some point that may not be the case. I am prepared for someone to say that it was simply a dream. Possibly a hallucination. There is no way he went to heaven and came back again. And that is perfectly okay. It isn’t my job to force people to believe or to convince them that it is true. It is my task to simply be the voice of our story and share it with others. 

I remember saying to everyone who would listen shortly after the accident that Jackson had an experience in heaven. How did I know? Simple. You could feel it everytime you walked into his room in the NICU at the hospital. The minute you were in his presence, a feeling of peace and calm would wash over you. There were times I would just sit in his room to find the quite and stillness that my soul longed for. 

It would be almost 3 months before he would casually mention it for the first time during one of our daily walks from the hospital cafeteria at Scottish Rite. To him, it wasn’t a big deal. He is only 7 years old, and simply doesn’t understand how rare his experience was. I chose early on to never ask him about it. I only listened. It would be another 6 months before he would ever mention it again. I thankfully had the presence of mind to record that conversation. I wanted to be able to show anyone who ever doubted that this was coming from him and him alone. I didn’t put ideas in his head or lead him to answers. 

The most recent and final conversation was during the week of the 1 year anniversary of the accident. He explained the process of dying as being instantaneous. You simply close your eyes and wake up in heaven. He shared with me that Jesus gave him the power to walk on the clouds because he didn’t have wings like everyone else. He told me about seeing the gates made of gold (I later showed him pictures of heavens gates and he picked out the one made of pearls. I assume he didn’t know that pearls would shine too). He told me that everyone there was middle aged. There was no pain, no fear, or sadness in heaven. He explained that since his name wasn’t written in the Book of Life, he had to come back to earth. But that was okay because he didn’t want to leave his family. He excitedly told me that the last time he remembers walking is walking in heaven with Jesus. 

The things he has shared with me are biblical. You could say he got the idea of clouds and Jesus from church. He only attended church a couple of times prior to the accident, and I assure you they didn’t talk about the Book of Life, or what age people would be in heaven. He simply knows too much that is verified by the the Word to be a coincidence, a dream or a hallucination. 

To this day, people ask me how he handles being paralyzed. They are amazed when I tell them that he is the happiest kid I have ever known. His smile brightens up any room. His laughter is like a balm to your soul. I believe with everything that is in me it is because he was in the presence of Jesus and he brought some of heaven back with him. 

I share Jacksons story because if anyone has ever doubted if there is a God or if heaven exists, you don’t have to anymore. Heaven is real and most importantly, God is real. If you have lost someone you love, one day you WILL see them again. You are never alone. God is ready to engulf you with His grace and mercy. He wants to wrap you up in His loving embrace. All you have to do is let Him in. 

I ask all of my readers to share this with your family and friends. Maybe you already believe, but perhaps someone close to you is struggling to and this may be the final thing they need to accept Jesus into their heart. Let’s get the word out there! Yes, heaven is real! 

Love & blessings, 

C.C. 

Be that Person 

by C.C. Hasty, posted in Blessed, God Is Good, Heaven, Prayer, Uncategorized, Wheelchair

When I was a little girl, a woman came by our apartment in the projects of downtown Nashville to invite me to church. She told me about all of the fun things the youth did at church and promised to come get me on the bus every Sunday. And she did. Her name was Lana Banana (although I am sure that wasn’t her real name). I loved going to church where I learned about Jesus and His love for me. It was something to look forward to every week, and she gave me candy every time I walked onto that bus. 

A couple of years later, the owner at a furniture store that we broke down in front of told me about Jesus and I told him I went to church on Sunday’s. He gave me a stuffed doll that I cherished and invited me to visit his church. I told him I would, but I was maybe 8 years old and didn’t have a way to get there. It was the first promise I ever remember breaking. It hurt to break that promise and I learned going forward to never again promise something that I couldn’t do.  He told me I was special and was going to do great things in life. No one had ever told me this, and I believed him. 

A few years later we moved from Nashville to Shelbyville. My great uncle Chuck came to visit and invited me to church with him. He picked me up every single Sunday. He paid for me to go to church camp when I was 13 years old, where I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart. 

Why did I share this? Because it was those people who helped lead me to salvation. Not 1 person. Not 1 experience. But several. Lana Banana, the driver of that church bus who came to the roughest projects in Nashville didn’t know that I was ultimately saved. The owner of that furniture store couldn’t have realized how special that doll was to me or the words of life he spoke into me. My uncle Chuck couldn’t realize that by sowing the money to send me to church camp it would ultimately lead me to the cross and salvation.   

I’m not sure if I have ever been instrumental in someone’s journey to become saved. I hope that I have been. And I hope that all who read this are reminded that every time you share Jesus with someone, speak words of life and encouragement into someone, or sow financially into ministry, you too may have been one of the people God used to help someone eventually reach salvation, without even knowing it. 

Love & blessings, 

C.C.