Life-changing Accident

Life-changing Accident

You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence. Acts 2:28

“The car wreck banged me up pretty good,” Todd said as he tried to sit up in his hospital bed.

“Don’t sit up,” I said as I eased him back down. “You’re lucky to be alive!”

Todd had an open right tibia/fibular fracture, a fractured left wrist, and road rash on most of the left side of his body. Though it would be a long recovery, at least his life had been spared. The drunk driver who hit him had died at the scene.

“What’s so scary is that my family could have been with me. I had just dropped them off before heading in to work an extra late shift.”

“It’s clear to me that God stood with you and your family.”

“Without a doubt. But it bothers me that someone else died. We’re praying every day for his family. I can’t get them out of my mind.”

“That’s not unusual, Todd. It will take time and therapy to heal your broken bones, but also your heart and mind. Though we can’t see those injuries, they’re just as real as the physical ones.”

A few days later, Todd was moved to a rehab facility to continue his recovery. With the help of a caring group of nurses and a therapist who was able to help him make sense of what had happened, the results were nothing short of miraculous. Six weeks after the accident, Todd walked out of the unit and went back home to his family.

A year later, Todd stopped by my office with a letter of gratitude for the team that had surrounded him and his family during those dark days.

“So, I assume you’re back to your old self, and you’ve resumed your previous level of activity?” I asked.

“Actually, no. The accident made me realize that I needed to make some changes. If I had been with my family that night, I might never have gotten in the accident. For me, it was a wake-up call that I needed to spend more time with the people I love. All that recovery time showed me what really matters and what really brings joy to my life. That’s how I want to spend the rest of my life.”

TODAY’S RX

Even when the path is difficult, God will sustain you with his presence.

Lord, when everything shatters before me, please help me to pick up the pieces. Show me how to start again, and give me new clarity as to what’s important in my life.