This last weekend I got to go metal detecting; it was so wonderful. I love getting to dig in the dirt, I don't even care what I find I just have so much fun. I also love being out in nature and on this trip, we went to Hayburn Lake, I love the water. We take along a garbage bag to fill up with the trash that we find as we detect. I tied it to my waist and put in the beer caps, soda can tab, chip bags etc… I even picked up a rubber worm and tossed it in. There were some fun things too, I found 3 pennies, a piece of lead embedded in rock, not sure what it is, but I am keeping it. I needed to sit down and take in the moment with the Lord and when I did a little girl came running up to me asking me what I was looking for. After we talked a few minutes, her sister joined us and I showed them what I had found, I said, "I even picked up this rubber worm," her sister said, "OH, my dad can fix that," and took it from me, ran over to her dad with her treasure. I laughed and thought "WOW, one man's trash truly is another man's treasure."
People will look at something or someone and decide if is valuable to them and worth keeping. However, if you don't have true knowledge about some things, you might throw it away believing it isn't worth anything. Over the last 4 1/2 years I have learned that Jesus is the only one that has the authority to place value on someone or something, I am not qualified for that job. He is the only expert on placing value, because He alone has expert knowledge that we don't have.
I have also learned that He values throwing away the trash, that which does not do us any good or bring Him any glory. He alone is the one who knows what HE can use in us, through us, or for us. In sharing my story, I get to purge out those things that I don't want stuffed in anymore. Thank you for listening to my heart.
On October 19th, 1:30am, I was shocked awake by a knock at my door, I barely heard their voices, but they told me they were from the Sheriff's department. I didn't even think about the worst that it could be but when I opened the door, I knew it was. "I thought, you have the wrong house," and when they asked me if I was the wife of William Houseman, I had to force myself say, "yes," instead of "you have the wrong house," and closing the door.
As they led me in and suggested I sit down, I went numb, and just began playing a part in a story that I had run over in my mind a thousand times over the years. While he was headed to work at 9:30pm on the 18th, a man who had been suspected of murder chose to run from the Sheriff's department when they tried to stop him. A few blocks later, he ran a red light and into the side of Bill's car. Killing him instantly, for which I am so grateful because he didn't have to suffer. He had always said that He didn't want to be kept alive artificially and I am so thankful that I didn't have to make that choice.
I felt guilty for not really feeling anything, I cried a little, but it felt fake. I know now I was in shock, but at the time I felt guilt. I even had a crazy thought that they were going to think that I was responsible because I didn't react right. I have watched WAY too many crimes shows. I will never forget the look on one of the Deputies faces, he was so heartbroken and that hurt my heart. I am an encourager and that makes is easy to put other people's feelings before my own.
After they left, and I picked myself up off of the floor in front of the door I that had just closed and started to make my way up the stairs to tell my daughter. I thought, how do you tell your daughter that her father has died. I wish I had waited until the morning, but as we all know that we can't live on wishes. Because of being woken up from sleep she misunderstood me and thought I had said MY father died. It wasn't until she came down to my room and heard me talking to family about what had happened. That hurts my heart still to this day.
I do not remember most of that night – I remember many of the people that I called saying, "what?! WHO?!" disbelief was the theme for the night. I don't remember everyone I had called or how they reacted and for some reason that intrigues me. I have asked several people those questions, not sure why I needed to know, but I don't have to.
Our first set of friends showed up at 7:30am and my house did not stop filling up all day long. I kept being told to go lay down, but there were people in my house, I couldn't go to bed. I finally laid down, but I am just realizing now that I don't remember if I slept or what happened after that. I can tell you that I was so overwhelmed, I never understood how much I was loved, until that week with my church and my family.
When I tell you that Eastland Baptist Church has some of THE most amazing people, I would be grossly understating how amazing they are. They swooped in, picked us up, took care of us, fed us, guided us and just loved on us. Even when family arrived, they continued to support all of us. They bought every paper and plastic item we could possibly use. And after a couple of weeks, they all got together and bought me a new mattress, something that we had put off buying, but sorely needed.
I am going to finish for now, this makes me pretty tired, and I want to make sure that I am writing what the Lord wants me to say. Thank you for taking the time to read this. God bless you as you continue your week. Feel free to reach out to me in email or chat. I am learning how to let people know when I post a new entry, so if I have your email I can do that.
Darcy Faith 
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