Miracle for Jen, by Linda Barrick with John Perry (
Tyndale House) is the account of the fateful accident and subsequent recovery of a young woman who is extraordinary. You could sum it up by saying, "Jen Barrick was a teenager when her life turned upside down through a horrible brain injury." Or you could say, "Jen Barrick was a teenager when God answered her prayers."
It all depends on your perspective, and Jen prefers the latter. Her story must be read to be believed, but ultimately it's not hard to believe.
How could multiple skull fractures resulting in damage to every part of her brain be an answer to prayer? It is if your prayer was for greater intimacy with God and impact for Him.
It's impossible to say how the injury affected her relationship with God, but her mother Linda and other observers documented how, upon coming out of her coma, Jen clearly and cogently expressed herself in prayer and praise to God, as though He was in the room with her. And that ability continues to this day.
Communication with family and friends came less smoothly. In fact, Jen struggled to vocalize her thoughts as severe memory loss hampered her recovery for several months. Yet Bible verses and hymn lyrics would flow effortlessly from her mouth, some that her mother didn't know she had memorized prior to the accident.
While Jen delighted in this new-found freedom, Linda grieved over her daughter's lost capacities. Would she ever go back to school? Would she return to cheerleading or singing in the choir? Would she graduate and have a normal life? Making those old hopes and plans reality seemed impossible. God could heal her, but would He? Would the old Jen return?
Linda began to accept a new reality when she read Jen's prayer journals. What started as an attempt to reconnect with the "old" Jen became a means of embracing the new one. Four months before the crash, she had written,
God, I want You to be my everything. Continue to grow my faith and allow me to know You like never before!
Four days before:
We all want the testimony, but we'd rather skip the test that give us one.
Jen has had quite a testimony since her accident, sharing with groups small and large the miracle of knowing God. This book does not candy-coat the daily struggles along the way, or pretend that one answered prayer alleviates all doubts. Linda writes:
To help me survive the long, hard days I began telling myself over and over that this life on earth is only a dot on the timeline of history, leading to God's eternity where we will experience unparalleled joy. Off and on I'd repeat that truth out loud, so Jen nicknamed me Polka Dot, evidence of one of her first short-term memory triumphs. Every time she called me Polka Dot, it reminded all of us that this difficult and challenging life is a moment in time anticipating life in heaven, with no pain or sorrow, just ahead.
Tucking Jen in bed at night became a family ritual. . . . I often prayed, "Lord, please connect a new pathway in Jen's brain tonight."
When it was Jen's turn to pray, she was always full of thanksgiving and praise. One night, she astounded us all when she prayed, "Lord, did I meet all of Your expectations today? Did I fulfill all that You had for me to do?"
Wow! It had never crossed my mind to pray a prayer like that. I'd been so busy begging God for healing and help that I had forgotten that this life is not about me or my family's comfort; it is about God and His plan. Jen had a completely different perspective from the rest of us. She knew that God had left her on this earth for a reason. He had things for her to do!
I also appreciate that this book highlights the ministry of caregivers -- their necessity and vital importance. Because Jen wasn't the only one injured in the accident -- both Linda and Jen's dad Andy were severely injured as well -- friends and family members had to step in to provide round-the-clock assistance. Members of Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, VA (yes, that one), were not only relied upon for meals and visits, but for long-term personal care.
Win a copy!
This book would make a great gift for caregivers and is an all-around inspiring memoir for church library shelves. In fact, be the first to
email me your name and address and I'll send you a certificate for a free copy!
TyndaleHouse Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.
