He is Good: The worst day of my life

The red neon numbers blinked as I glanced at the clock wondering where he was. I was rushing to pack for a trip that we had planned months earlier-- a surprise overnight in the mountains for the kids. It was two days before Christmas, and I knew traffic was going to be heavy. He should been home by now, I thought just as my phone rang. His smooth deep voice didn't seem quite as strong as he whispered "I've been in an accident." 

" Are you ok?" 

"Yes, I'm ok. But you need to come."

 I threw the kids in the car and made my way to the highway only 4 miles from our home. As I drove to the scene and saw first hand the destruction that he had just walked out of, I screamed out loud in horror. This accident was no fender bender as I had originally imagined in my head.  My eyes surveyed the damage and I thought how could he be ok?  He had held his composure until the moment he saw me and then couldn't contain it any longer as we locked eyes. He fell into my arms as I held him up to keep his knees from buckling. Behind him I saw the devastation, I saw what he had just gone through. Tears welled up and I looked him deep in the eyes and whispered "Praise God! Praise God, James!" The entire front end of his car was gone. Entire. Front. End. The engine somehow managed to cave in like an accordion, as his small sports car ran into the back of a pick up at 65 miles an hour. The holiday traffic stopped out of nowhere, and he didn't even have time to brake. The impact broke the axel on the pick up he hit, as his front end sailed right under the truck's bumper. The State Trooper later informed us that if he had hit anything but a pick up, that driver would have surely been killed. It was a blessing that his car's nose went up under the pick up because it actually spared both drivers and lessened the initial impact.

How did he possibly walk away from this in one piece, with only a scratch on his forehead?  And no one else was seriously hurt? My eyes surveyed the damage. How could this be?

The shock of the accident still leaves me breathless even two years later. And if there is ever a moment that I doubt what God is capable of protecting us from, it is this miraculous day where my husband walked away from a crash that could have (and should have) killed him. Because God in His mercy, protected him days prior in a manner that only God can take credit for. You see, since the day I had met James his seat belt had been broken, as in did not work at all. The entire time-for two years straight he did not have a working seat belt. I did gently encourage him to go get it fixed, and he would laugh and say "It's ok, God is in control." 

But it bothered me. I let it slide when we were dating, not to be perceived as the "nagging" girlfriend, but the minute and I mean second we were married I wouldn't shut up about it. "You don't drive around NOT wearing a seat belt, James! You have a family now, and if something happened to you it affects more than just you!" I said these words too many times to count. And after months of him not doing anything about it, I finally said "if you don't go to the dealership and get it fixed, then I will take it in myself!" As much as I don't want to be that wife, I deemed this topic a necessary battle to pick up. Maybe it was my gut-- But I know better. It was God nudging me. I couldn't shake the need to have it fixed asap. 

Ten days prior to this accident he fixed his seat belt. TEN DAYS. Had he not listened to my nagging, he most likely would not have survived it. IN fact, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have survived it. He would have gone through the windshield. Not only did God supernaturally protect him in and before the car accident, He also protected us financially. Four days prior to the accident, I had noticed that James' car insurance had not been deducted from our account for the past two months prior. I called him at work and said "Can you please call them today. I think something weird is going on with your car insurance. Today James, please!" He called only to find out that the insurance company had accidentally dropped him in the renewal process and James, in fact, did NOT have insurance. They corrected the problem and told him that starting that day he was covered. Had he not called, he would have had NO CAR INSURANCE to protect us. I am more than certain it would have ruined us financially. 

This accident happened two months after we were married, and our very first Christmas together. And it could have ended much differently. God spared him. God spared us. There is no other fact than that. God went before us to protect us from a situation we didn't even know was coming. And as every December rolls around, I'm reminded of God's faithfulness. I'm reminded of what God has done and I'm beyond thankful. I am reminded that God sees us and hears our pleas. He goes before us and walks with us. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. He is good. He sees what is coming and gives us what we need before we even need it.

And just when I think this could have been the worst day of my life, it actually is one of the best-- because it reminds me of God's power and love. He is good. Even when I don't understand the why behind life, He is good. Even when the bad does happen, like when my first marriage fell apart and I found myself raising two kids on my own. He is good. Even when it doesn't make sense. He is good. Even when the car is totaled but we walk away from the rubble, He is good.  

XO

Charley