No Praise Was Spared, Only Their Lives

No Praise Was Spared, Only Their Lives

Yes, the LORD is for me; he will help me. Psalm 118:7

Though it had been snowy the night before, Lynne and Larry decided it wasn’t anything their front-wheel-drive sedan couldn’t handle. So they got in the car and left at the same time they always did. They were talking and laughing when they rounded a bend on the highway and saw a jackknifed eighteen-wheeler blocking the road in front of them.

Larry slammed on the brakes, but the car slid straight toward the cab of the truck. There was nothing they could do to stop. Though their car may have been able to handle the weather, it was no match for the massive semi. Their little sedan was crushed.

Those at the scene said that Lynne’s and Larry’s heads were less than four inches from the tires that had run over the demolished car. They were still seated, side by side, holding hands and praying—trapped, but by God’s grace still alive. Rescuers used the Jaws of Life to cut them out of the wreckage, and they were amazed that the couple still had all their limbs.

Lynne and Larry spent two weeks in the trauma unit at Vanderbilt, and everyone who heard their story was astounded at how they’d survived. It didn’t take a miracle—it took a succession of miracles for them to make it out alive.

I had read about the wreck in the local paper, and I’d heard reports on the couple from friends and family, so when their names were on my appointment schedule one morning, I knew who they were, but I didn’t know what to expect. I was sure they’d gotten treatment for all their physical injuries, but I worried about their emotional and spiritual condition. Major trauma can cause more “head” injuries than a concussion, not to mention what such a harrowing experience can do to a person’s heart.

To my surprise, they both entered the office upright, though walking with the aid of walkers. More important, they were upright in their spirits, singing praises to God. Hearing firsthand the story of their miraculous survival and how God had carried them through gave my own faith a shot in the arm.

TODAY’S RX

If your life has passed in front of you and you lived to tell about it, give all the glory to God.

To you be the honor and glory, God. I praise you with all my heart.