All my life I have heard people say things like "maybe you were late because God was protecting you from that accident." While I have never doubted God is so sovereign and merciful to do such a thing, I feel like I truly experienced such grace today.
Mama had asked me to pick Kateleigh up from school this afternoon and said I should leave the house at 2:30 to be on time. I remember thinking I wanted to be right on time so I made my way out of the house right at 2:30 only to realize I needed to check on the ducks outside. They seemed to be doing just fine but the cover had blown off the top of their little pen and I remember being frustrated that it was taking me longer than I had hoped to get it back on because I was afraid I would be late. I left the house just a minute or two later than I had hoped, but didn't think too much of it.
As I approached the intersection near the middle school that I crossed many a times during my high school days, I looked up and saw something I couldn't have prepared for. A couple of hundred feet in front of me, two cars collided in which one of the cars went a little air born and flipped a couple of times onto its side. It shook me up pretty badly so I immediately pulled of of the road and then called 911. I don't remember much of what I said, but from what my eyes had just seen, I was for certain that those who were involved had to have been seriously hurt or worse. I was speechless. I knew that I had to cross the intersection to pick Kateleigh up from school, so I eased back onto the road and saw that it looked those who were involved had made it out. I felt so guilty that I did not have the courage to get out of the car and offer to help the victims like some passerbys had done but decided to pray for them as I crossed the intersection and waited in the carpool line for my sister.
My main concern, of course, was if those who were involved were okay. From what I saw and what I have heard, they suffered some injuries but are excepted to be okay as far as I know. My heart and prayers go out to these people and I am so so sorry they had to go through such a scary thing. I can't imagine how frightening something like that must be and I am so thankful that from what I have heard, they are going to be okay. To God be the Glory for his protection. There is no doubt that this accident gave me a clearer picture of how fragile life can be.
Once I was in the carpool line, I immediately called my Mama to tell her what had happened. As I described to her the events, I realized that there was nothing in between myself and the car that had come across the road beside the stop sign I was about to approach besides a couple hundred feet, a couple of seconds, a sovereign heavenly father who was looking after me. Had I not checked on the ducks or even left the slightest bit earlier, it is possible I would have been hit by the accident. I will never forget the overwhelming rush of protection I felt in that moment. Just like I mentioned earlier, I had heard all my life that God allows us to be late or throws our plans off -track sometime to protect us, but never had I experienced it in such a way until today's events. It was a true reminder to me (that I desperately needed) that God controls and plans-out every single moment in our lives.
God used today to really wake me up to some things. I feel like I have lived for my own desires for so long and He has really been trying to show me lately that the only fulfilling life will be one that is lived in service and love to Him. Because today's incident reminded me how fragile life can be, I am even more encouraged to spend that fragile time on something far greater than my own self an own selfish desires.
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