April 26, 2012 will never be forgotten, it is cemented in my mind and will forever be that way, I'm convinced. My 4 year old son and myself got into my blue Ford Explorer that morning, just as we do every morning to take him to the babysitter on my way in to work. I remember that morning, as I was getting ready, feeling like something was going to happen...but I attributed it to the fact that my husband and I were set to go out of town for a marriage conference. We'd been planning it for several months, and in just 24 hrs we would be there...investing in our marriage, in our lives together. I was so ready to get out of town too, it would be the first weekend away from our boys for 2 nights and we couldn't wait to see what God had in store for us as a couple. Little did I know, that lesson would be much different then what I had anticipated.
I buckled my little boy into his booster seat, got in the drivers seat, buckled up...turned on oldies music, gave my son my Windows phone (add shameless plug here) so he could play his preschool games on it, and headed out the driveway. Just another morning, sunny and breezy...so beautiful outside that I rolled down the front windows halfway. We drove along like this, M playing on my phone in the backseat, and me enjoying the breeze and sunshine. After about 10 minutes or so driving, I came to the intersection that crosses over another road to my babysitters house. We were almost to our destination. I stopped at the stop sign, and looked both ways (this is a very bad intersection and I've always been cautious, only one way had the stop sign). There was a gas station on one side where the cars are parked right up on the road hampering one's view, and there is road construction on the other side making for a very dangerous place to cross. As I pulled out from the stop sign, I saw it...a blue minivan---way too close, an impact was imminent. There was someone there after all, and I missed it. At that split second, I had a choice to make: slam on the brakes or hit the gas and maybe avoid a collision. MIRACLE #1 I just knew I had to hit the gas...it just happened, I believe that thought was from the Lord. Later I found out, had I stopped we would have been t-boned, and likely the outcome would have been MUCH worse. I nearly made it...but was clipped in the back passenger side. As I heard the impact, the windshield cracked all over, like a giant spider web...and then I felt us turning over on the drivers side. A feeling I will NEVER forget. At that moment, I knew I was going to die and had one thought, God please spare my child. I never lost consiciousness, my eyes were wide open, and then the next boom as we hit the ground and turned sideways. The second I registered that we hit the ground, I started screaming for my child. I screamed his name several times, and finally I heard a very timid quiet scared little voice saying, "I'm ok Mommy." I managed to unbuckle my seatbelt and stand up while I was yelling for him. As I turned around and stood on the door, I saw my little boy still belted in his carseat hanging sideways. He said "Get me out Mommy and began to cry." I tried so hard to get to him, but I couldn't...and it was at this time I realized, I was hurt. My arm was crazy swollen, I had a hole in my elbow and a hole in my hand, with blood dripping from both places. Gross, I know, but it's relevant to the story. At this point M also realizes I'm hurt and bleeding and gets even more scared. He manages to unbuckle his seatbelt and stand up looking with a wild look in his eyes for a way out of the car. However, there wasn't a way out. I remember screaming for help, and for someone to call 911. I wish I could say I was calm, but I wasn't. Not knowing how badly I was hurt, thinking my wrist and elbow were fractured, and dripping blood, I tried to put pressure on the gaping hole on my elbow where the bleeding was worst. I remember a deputy showing up and screaming for him to get my child out of the car. He was watching me bleed, and he was so scared, we were on the gas tank side...I wanted him OUT of the car. Of course, they wouldn't do anything until EMS arrived, as I was standing up and hollering and they could tell M was not visibly hurt, and I was bleeding, but not in immediate danger. Sure didn't feel that way though, I remember telling them to call my husband, to call my job, and to get my child out of the car. The deputy asked me to turn off the car, which I did but couldn't get the key out of the ignition. I remember asking if the other people were ok, and they were, their car had sustained minor damage. When finally the EMS guys arrived, one of them bandaged my arm as best he could through the passenger front window which was halfway down, while the other one looked for a way to get us out. At their request, I managed, to reach down at my feet and unlock the doors, so the back hatch could be opened. At my continued insistence they got M out, who looked at me to make sure it was ok, and at my assurance the man was there to help he crawled out the back and to safety. I remember asking if I could try to come out too, and was told to wait...as they wanted to be certain the vehicle was braced well enough for me to move around. After it was determined safe, I too crawled through the car and out the back, stumbling as they held me to the waiting ambulance. M walked like a big boy with his backpack on and got in the ambulance. He talked the whole way to the hospital...lol. After a few hours at the hospital, it was decided that I had no broken brones (miracle), and ended up with 9 stitches in my elbow and 6 stitches in my hand. Miracle # 2 M wasn't hurt at all, and I walked out with minor injuries.
A few days after the accident, I looked at the pictures of the car and had the strangest revelation. Remember, that the car had fallen on the drivers side...the side both M and I were on? Remember, that I thought as we were turning over for God to spare my child? Remember he wasn't hurt at all? Then, I saw it...every one of the windows on the drivers side was broken out EXCEPT my baby's. His window did not even have a crack...NOTHING. At that moment I was filled with such gratitude and assurance that God had heard my silent prayer and had indeed protected my child!!! I will call that Miracle #3!! The next week and a half was challenging as I couldn't work, couldn't really do much for myself. My dear sweet husband basically had to help me in the shower, get dressed, open medicine bottles...chauffer me around, which he did without complaining. On Mother's Day, he took me in his arms and told me just how scared he was that me and M were seriously hurt when he got that phone call. We both teared up, and just held one another...so thankful for God's protection and for each other. It's funny how when these things happen, you begin to realize how quickly life can change and just how much we take for granted day by day.
Finally, almost 2 weeks in, we get a check from insurance for the totaled vehicle that I had. Now, we had to look for a vehicle. I prayed that God would help us find a decent used vehicle, that we could pay cash for comparable to what I had. We really did not want a car payment. With $4,804 in hand we prepared ourselves to start looking. Josh had by this time gone into work, and surprise, we find out that one of Josh's and mine co-worker moonlights as a used car salesman. He told Josh he thought he had just the vehicle for us. We had looked at several lots, and everything was too rundown, too much $$, too many miles, etc. He told us to come by after work. He showed us a Gray Ford Explorer...an Eddie Bauer (nicer then the 2001 Ford Sport Explorer I had). It was $4500. Josh and I test drove it, and a few days later after they made some cosmetic changes to it, we went in to pay for it. After all the fees associated with car title, taxes, registration transfers and everything we paid cash $4807.00....ONLY $3 MORE THEN WHAT WE HAD IN CASH! Miracle #4 MY GOD GAVE US BACK A NICER FORD EXPLORER THEN WHAT I HAD, AND NO CAR PAYMENT!! I remember, being surprised that the total of the car was almost exactly what I had (oh me of little faith), but you know what??? IT WAS NO SURPRISE TO GOD WHICH CAR HE WANTED ME TO HAVE, AND HOW MUCH WE WOULD NEED TO GET IT!!
.jpg)
I may never know why God allowed this to happen, especially on this weekend where Josh and I so desperately wanted to go on a weekend trip together and focus on our marriage. What I do know, is that even though that weekend and those several weeks did not turn out like I had planned, it turned out EXACTLY the way it was supposed too. Even in this time of trial, my God was there meeting our needs down to the last minute detail. PRAISE GOD FOR HIS GOODNESS, PROVISION, AND NEVERENDING LOVE TO HIS CHILDREN!! My prayer for you all, is that you know the God of the Bible, the Jesus who died for all our sins on the cross, in a personal way. We don't know how long we have on this Earth, or when we will draw our last breath. In the end, there's you and God, nobody else. Life is short, may we spend our time here wisely in God's forgiveness and grace. That way, when it is time for us to leave, we may hear "Well done, my good and faithful servant!" I fail my Lord so very many times, but He is longsuffering, and forgiving...and always Jehovah Jireh my provider!!!!
