Team Smith

Most of you have probably seen me post on Facebook or Twitter about my friends Cheryl and Smith. They are two dear friends I met while serving at The Stirring. Cheryl is known as the "female face of The Stirring", but she is oh so much more. She gives countless hours, a tremendous amount of thought, energy, and love to Hope's The Stirring. She is one of the founding members of the service and has been rocking right along with it for the past 11 years. Smith has been right there with her. He is always the calming spirit in Leadership Team meetings. Volunteering to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Passing out hugs, kisses, handshakes, and smiles to every single person that walks through those doors. After meeting Larry, you feel like you have known him for life.
But what I admire the most about both of them is their faith. It doesn't falter. It never has. In the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, they put God first and don't even think about not praising His name.

Smith and Cheryl's life changed forever two months ago.

Whether than me trying to rehash the story, I want you to hear it in Cheryl's words.

  "A fingerprint…we all have them and somehow they are all individually identifiable.  According to the definition it is a pattern which presents “unambiguous evidence”.   On August 10th, 2012 my husband, Larry Smith, otherwise known to me as Smith, took a dive into Greer’s Ferry Lake while visiting our favorite hangout with our best friends.  Unfortunately, in the darkness, he was unaware of the depth of the water which tragically proved too shallow.  Three of his closest friends jumped in immediately after him knowing something had gone wrong. Something was terribly wrong.  Upon impact his body went limp and his lungs filled with lake water and that night, his three friends, with God looking on, saved his life. 

 After being airlifted to the closest trauma center in Little Rock, his injuries were identified as a C4 and C5 complete Spinal Cord Injury.  My life and my body seemed to collapse as I was told there was a one in a million chance that the love of my life would ever walk again.  The “better or worse” commitment I took on Mid-Summer Night just four years earlier was being questioned in the ultimate test.  After two neck surgeries, six screws, two rods and thirteen days in the ICU, he was accepted and transferred to the world renowned Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia to continue his rehab. 

     It’s been a month and a half now and looking back we are overwhelmed and humbled by the outpouring of love and support from not only our friends and family, but our coworkers and family of faith.  These people provide the strength we need daily by sending cards, reaching out on Facebook and constant texts.  Just when we get to that breaking point, God places someone in our lives to be that encouragement - to take another step – to hold on another minute – to find one more ounce of strength to get through another day or just another therapy session. 

     With the help of our friends and friends of friends, God has assembled an incredible team to launch not only the Team Smith Facebook page, but Team Smith merchandise and the Team Smith website – all to support us with the sudden unexpected medical expenses and equipment necessary to make changes in our lives.  Our favorite ministry, The Stirring at Hope Church, continues to rally behind us by making it possible that we join them via Skype to get our worship on with our favorite worship band and our weekly does of God’s word through the message.  We are left in awe daily by the family of faith God has placed in our lives through Hope and The Stirring.  
     We are realizing that though this is unimaginable, this was indeed written a long time ago.  This was just a chapter in our lives, though we wouldn’t have written, it was there to be read.  The lines of the Team Smith fingerprint logo represent to us those people that come together not only to serve but to love.  Those people have become the “unambiguous evidence” of God’s fingerprint upon our lives.  And as this story continues, we don’t want this to be about an unplanned accident or about letting the ability to walk define our lives together.  We want this to be recognized for just what it is: a LOVE story…a story about loving others; a story about our love for each other and most importantly, a story of God’s love for all of us."   

One of the projects Team Smith has launched is selling merchandise to help offset the cost of the injury, rehab, and changes in their life from here on out.
The Asbell family LOVES sporting their Team Smith merch.

Team Smith's very own Cheryl and Smith showed up launch night at The Stirring...via Skype.

Sporting Team Smith Tattoos

Liz and I sporting Team Smith shirts at The Stirring.

You can get your own Team Smith merch here. This tank rocks!! I know weather is cooling down, but seriously, this tank is super comfy. The fit is true to size and it is sooo soft. There is also a hat that people are throwing elbows over. I might be ordering one of those very soon. All three of my boys have the t-shirt. There better be a long sleeved version in the works soon...just sayin'.

There are other fundraisers in the works. A Poker Run (yup, I had to wikipedia that one...), a concert featuring well known musicians around the city, and many more opportunities to help this amazing couple.

Their road, their journey, this new life is just starting for them. I hope you will pray (or continue to pray) for Smith's recovery, which has been upgraded to 'incomplete' (GREAT NEWS!). Pray for Cheryl as she takes on a new role in their marriage. Pray for the fundraising to help with all the new and unexpected costs of this life alternating event. Pray for God to keep shining through their story.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen (Hebrews 11:1)