March 11, 2020 When I look back on it, it was the most awesome awful week possible. Tuesday morning, I was involved in a car accident on a black-ice-covered road. It was a near head-on collision. Both vehicles sustained significant damage. My vehicle had considerable front-end damage, air bag deployment and rear-end damage. The other vehicle looked as bad as mine, maybe worse. A third vehicle had a separate crash in the same spot maybe seconds before. To be honest, I don’t remember most of the crash. I don’t remember much from immediately after the crash, either. But I’ll forever remember seeing God at work that day. God was protecting us, the drivers of the vehicles. We all sustained bumps and bruises, aches and pains, but we lived, and our injuries were far less severe than they could’ve been. If my car had spun in the other direction, or if I had been carrying a passenger, it could’ve been a very different day. God protected me there, too. So many things could’ve transpired differently and made the crash far more catastrophic, but God protected us. God was working in the other drivers – including one of my colleagues – who stopped to render aid, not knowing what they’d find when they approached the mangled vehicles. I saw God working in their bravery, kindness and compassion. God was working in the volunteer firefighters and emergency medical personnel who responded to the scene. These people left their workplaces, their homes, their regular lives to provide care for strangers. God was in the New York State Police who responded to the scene, treating all involved compassionately and professionally. God was there. To borrow a phrase from a wise woman I recently talked to, “I don’t believe it; I know it.” But God wasn’t done there. After the crash, I saw God in the countless people who visited, called, messaged or otherwise contacted me to check on me, extend well wishes or say they were thankful we were all ok. I’m truly overwhelmed with gratitude. Parts of this week were bad. In fact, they were downright awful. But God can make the awful awesome. |