What God Did for Katanna

          Who is Katanna? She’s the sweet daughter of our youngest son’s fourth grade teacher. At that time, Katanna was a little girl, but now she’s all grown up!

          Two years ago, Katanna wanted to publicly profess her faith in Jesus Christ by being baptized. Reason for rejoicing in and of itself, but God did something amazing for her, although it would be two more years until that evidenced.

          I’ll turn this telling over to Katanna’s mom who shared this not too long ago:

          “My daughter never met my dad. He passed a few months before she was born.

          Katanna was baptized in the church where my parents and many of my family members on my dad’s side were baptized. She also wanted to be baptized with something that represented her papaw 
Stewart.

          I put a picture my dad in a sandwich bag, and she wore it in her pocket.

          She changed clothes after the ceremony in a back room and forgot to pick up the bag with the photo in it from the shelf where she laid it.

          I meant to go back and get the picture but kept forgetting.

          Then eastern Kentucky experienced extreme flooding, which almost destroyed the church."

(This video clip shows flooding in Neon, August 2022. The building with the reddish roof is the church mentioned above.)

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?mibextid=UalRPS&v=744724960137964&rdid=4meVqGcFMiDmcUzj

          "Everything inside the church had to be replaced. Many people helped rebuild the inside...

          It really hurt to see the pews my grandmother and her sisters sat in completely destroyed. I actually stood outside of the church and helped make grilled hot dogs and hamburgers to give to those who lost their homes after the devastation.

          I thought of the picture a few times and felt just awful that we hadn’t remembered to get it.

          A few weeks ago, however, a gentleman from the church, Frank Fleming, approached my mom after a Sunday service and handed her the picture still inside of the same sandwich bag—totally unharmed. He said it was found in the back. 

          I don’t know how it survived! I do know that faith, love, and hope can’t be destroyed when you hold onto it. It is with faith, love, and hope that—although Dad never got to meet Katanna—he is always with her and is so proud of her. Thank you, Frank, for this tremendous and timely blessing!

          I bought Katanna a music box when she graduated from college this year, and she has it in her first ever classroom. But instead of jewelry, her papaw Stewart’s picture in the sandwich bag has a new home inside of it!” 

                                                            –Sonya Breeding

 

          As it turns out, the school where Katanna begins her teaching career also flooded in the summer of 2022. The students she’ll teach well remember that school year’s opening being delayed by the massive clean-out required for them to return to their classrooms.

          And now, who will “join” them in their class under Katanna’s instruction? Papaw Stewart! For his image is in that jewelry box which has its very special place in her classroom—and in her heart.

 

Dear Lord God,

          Thank you for what you did for Katanna. Nothing is too hard for You!

          First of all, You saved her soul. And, because of that, she wanted to follow Your example by being baptized.

          Despite the devastation caused by the flood waters, You preserved a diamond for her to place in her musical jewelry box. What could have been more precious to her and her family than that gift!

          Thank You, dear Lord, for this very special gem of a young lady who will now be an influence to the young lives you bring to her through her teaching career.

          Lord, help her to know, when the waters of hard times seem like they may drown her, You are there to bring her out of them in the same way you preserved the priceless picture of her papaw.

          Thank You for what you will continue to do for Katanna.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

So precious is Jesus, my Savior, my King, His praise all the day long with rapture I sing;

To Him in my weakness for strength I can cling, for he is so precious to me.

 

(Chorus) For He is so precious to me, for He is so precious to me;

’Tis heaven below, my Redeemer to know, for He is so precious to me.

 

He stood at my heart’s door in sunshine and rain and patiently waited an entrance to gain;

What shame that so long He entreated in vain, for He is so precious to me. (Chorus)

 

I stand on the mountain of blessing at last, no cloud in the heavens a shadow to cast;

His smile is upon me, the valley is past, for He is so precious to me. (Chorus)

 

I praise Him because He appointed a place where, someday, through faith in His wonderful grace,

I know I shall see Him, shall look on His face, for He is so precious to me. (Chorus)

 

(from the hymn He Is So Precious to Me by Charles H. Gabriel, 1902, public domain)

#baptism #church #2022Kentuckyflood #devastation #papawsphoto #Godpreserved #teacher

 

Photo credits: Sonya Breeding, Cayden Fugate, Josh Howard (video)