Life is a gift.
I’ve probably read this phrase, heard this phrase and even
said this phrase, hundreds of times.
After September 24, 2012 – I believe that Life, truly is a gift. I had no idea when I drove to Denver to meet
with friends, that my journey back to Colorado Springs would forever change my
life.
45mph. The flow of
traffic. The sun had set and the street
lights illuminated the roads. New
favorite music selected. Notes and
sounds filling the air. Playful hum to
match the music, gentle tapping on the steering wheel to match the beat. Life was good. Life was normal. Life is a gift.
Glass breaking. Cars
colliding. Smash. Inflated airbags. Is this really happening? Crash. Music gone. Gripping seatbelt. Darkness.
Silence. Pain. Heavy
breathing. Hot tears running down my
face. Pain. So much pain.
Are you ok? Voice
repeated. Are you ok?
My eyes meet his.
Again – are you ok?
No. My response. No.
I’m not ok.
Sirens. Motion. Pain increasing. What’s your name? Voice repeated. Ma’am, what’s your name?
Elizabeth.
My name is Elizabeth.
September 24th,2012 will forever be imprinted in
my mind. Life is a gift. My seatbelt saved my life. At least that’s what they tell me. I never imagined that I would be in an
accident like this. EMS’d from the
scene. Emergency room shuffle. CAT scans.
Ultrasounds. Every measure taken
to be sure I was ok. Bumps and bruises
was what I walked away with. Bumps and
bruises.
Why did I survive this crash? I’ve asked myself this question probably a
hundred times a day since the crash. The
most common answers, “Because my time is not yet done on this earth.” Or “The Lord isn’t finished with you yet.” But what does that even
mean? This is probably what I’ve
wrestled with the most. When is “done”
actually done? And when is “finished” really
finished?
The best thing about these questions – they are not mine to
answer. The overwhelming echo of what
I’ve learned from this accident is that God is in control. Seconds would have made a huge difference in
how the crash could have played out.
Seconds! God is in control. My seatbelt could have malfunctioned, airbags
could have not deployed – God is in control.
“It is a freeing thing to understand that you are not in
control.” –the words from Matt Chandler, pastor at the Village Church
in Dallas, TX. Words that wrung in my
mind and heart as I heard them only days after the crash. The continual realization that I am not in
control is not an easy one for me to grasp.
If I’m honest – more days than not, I try to be in control and I lose
sight that Author of all life and creation is truly the one who is writing this
story. It is not mine to author. But He is gracious and He is good and He is
kind and I do get to play a part in His Story.
So I look at life and say, Yes.
It is a gift. It can be taken
away in a moment. And it can be used to
draw hearts closer to His. And if
nothing else that you feel or take away from my story, is your heart being
drawn one step closer to His, then it was all worth it.
Life is a gift.
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| A few pictures from the collision. |
