Miracle for Jen: A Tragic Accident, a Mother's Desperate Prayer, and Heaven's Extraordinary Answer - Hardcover

Barrick, Linda

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 141436119X ISBN 13: 9781414361192

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2012

Synopsis

On the night of November 5, 2006, the Barrick family was driving home from church when their van was struck by a drunk driver. Fifteen-year-old Jen suffered multiple skull fractures and severe brain trauma and was not expected to survive the night. But against all odds, she did. As she lingered in a coma, doctors warned that if Jen ever woke up, she would be cursing and screaming in confusion due to her brain injuries. Instead, after five weeks she opened her eyes and began praying and praising God. Jen didn’t remember her middle name, recognize her parents, or recall that she had a little brother—but she remembered Jesus and every word to every praise song and scripture she had hidden in her heart before the accident. As any loving mother would, Jen’s mother Linda wanted God to heal Jen—make her like she was before. Normal. But a loving God had something else in mind—instead of making her normal, God is making Jennifer—and the whole Barrick family—extraordinary, miraculous. Miracle for Jen is the remarkable true story of a family who overcame tragedy and learned to trust God's plan for their lives in a whole new way.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

One minute can change your whole life.
Fifteen-year-old Jennifer Barrick was the daughter parents dream about: a varsity athlete and cheerleader; a healthy, happy girl with a loving heart. And if the Barrick family had left church even one minute later that night, everything might have stayed the same.

But in a moment, less than a mile from the Barricks’ home, a drunk driver careened into their van at eighty miles an hour. The entire family was seriously hurt—but Jen’s injuries were so devastating that the paramedics thought she had no chance to live.

As Jen lay in a coma for five weeks, her mother, Linda, prayed desperately for her daughter’s full recovery. She begged God to heal Jen from her severe brain trauma—to let her be “normal.” When Jen finally awoke, however, it became clear that normal would have to be redefined. She seemed to have gained a new capacity—perhaps a miraculous one—for connecting with God. While she had slept, she rested in His presence—and awoke with an astonishing message. Was this the miracle Linda had prayed for? If so, was it enough? Could she trust God with Jen’s future in the wake of the accident? Could she trust in His love for them all?

Discover how God turned normal into extraordinary in this life-changing story of hope and love. What happened to this family will strengthen and renew your faith . . . and leave you forever changed.

From the Inside Flap:

“Lord . . . take this year and my life and allow Your glory to shine! Take it and use it to its fullest potential.” an entry from Jen Barrick’s journal, written just three months before the crash

In her journals, fifteen-year-old Jennifer Barrick had poured out her heart to God, asking him to use her life. But when her family’s van was struck head-on by a drunk driver, her parents, Andy and Linda, and her brother, Josh, were severely injured . . . and Jennifer was not expected to live through the night.

God intervened.

CT scans after the accident, though, showed severe damage throughout every area of Jen’s brain. Once she regained consciousness, she struggled to find even the simplest words, and when she spoke, her speech was so garbled it was hard to understand her.

But Jen remembered Jesus and His love for her. And when she sang and prayed, she sounded just like her old self—her words were clear, her voice was strong. It was as if everything but her soul had been damaged in the accident.

Today, anyone who meets Jennifer Barrick knows that God is using her far beyond anything she imagined.

In Miracle for Jen, Linda Barrick shares her family’s journey toward understanding God’s will for their lives, letting go of their former plans, and embracing the new future God has prepared for them.

About this edition

• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 141436119X
• ISBN 13: 9781414361192
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 280