This past Friday I did a Show and Tell about my angels I have in my home. You can
click here to read it if you missed it.
Today, I’d like to introduce you to the angel that saved my life. I guess I can't really introduce him, because I don’t know his name or much about him. But I know he was there, that mildly warm November day. So, I'd like to write about what he did for me.
It was 1998, and T and I had been married for 2 years. I was leaving home, heading to school about 20 minutes away. T happened to be leaving at the same time that morning, so I followed him out of the driveway down the main road that leads past his parents’ house and gets us both to work. At the third stop sign, just before his parents’ house – something happened. Something I will never forget.
I was driving T’s first car – you know, the first one that you can call yours? It was a 1990 Acura Integra – shiny red! This picture was taken by T in 1995 at his parents’ house shortly after washing and waxing it. And it was actually my first car, too.
It was November 24, I remember the date because it is also the day of my brother-in-law's birthday. T crossed through the 2-way stop intersection and then it was my turn. As I looked both ways, several times in fact because it was a bit of a hard turn to see around, I put the car into first gear and pulled away from the stop sign.
All I can remember is hearing an extremely loud noise and yelling out T’s name. I remember smelling something strange, too. Since, I've learned that it was the smell of tires burning. I did not see the oncoming pickup truck. It hit my car on the passenger side and pushed me into a telephone pole. I blacked out and awoke on the shoulder of the road pushed up against the pole. I could reach out and touch my passenger door – it had been pushed in and the passenger seat was behind me. The driver of the other vehicle came up to me and I remember just saying sorry, over and over.
T was down the road about ½ a mile waiting on his parent’s driveway to wave to me as I went past. He had stopped to pick up the newspaper for his mom, since his dad was away hunting. Knowing I had been right behind him, he got concerned and walked off the driveway, onto the road to look for me. Their house sits back a little bit and there is an S turn right before their house, so he couldn’t see the intersection from their driveway. What he saw where cars crossing the intersection slowly and the hint of a red car in the field.
He ran inside to tell his mom and he hopped in the truck. I can still remember his blue pickup truck driving towards me and my thoughts of “Oh man, he’s not going to be happy with what I’ve done to his car.”
I was still in the car when he reached me because the seat belt would not release me. It was the type of seat belt that buckled you in when the car door closed. I was able to release the lap portion of the belt, but I couldn’t get out. I can also remember the feel of something cold and wet running down the side of my face.
I remember my eyes locking with T’s and being concerned about what he would say. He reached the car as I was wiping my forehead. He told me to stop because I was bleeding. I didn’t even know, nor did I realize I had glass in my skin. The first thing out of my mouth, after apologizing was "Call my school. Let them know I may be a little late.”
Minutes passed feeling like hours. The ambulance came and I remember them talking about using the Jaws of Life to get me out. I thought what? Just open the window, I’ll climb out. I even attempted to get out myself and they told me to stop. I was put into the ambulance and we were on our way. To this day, I still jump when I hear sirens – I feel for the person inside and say a prayer, because I can remember those feelings of: What happened? Why me? What is going on? Am I going to be okay?
I arrived at the hospital and they worked to get the glass out of my face and my gash stitched up. I only required about 11 stitches for a V shaped cut on my right temple.
Next they took me for an x-ray and found that my collarbone had been crushed – not just one nice clean break, but crushed. My passenger seat hit my right arm and my collarbone took the brunt of it. This was the same side as my incision – it was remarkable to me that I was reaching up to wipe the blood away and I don’t remember feeling pain in my arm or shoulder.
I stayed in the hospital for one night. My stitches came out and I have a scar that is barely visible. I wore a shoulder brace for 3 months to pull my right shoulder back to allow my collarbone to heal. Instead of looking like a nice smooth bone, my right collar bone looks like a rope with a knot in it.
Why was I spared? I’ve asked myself this many, many times since then. When I look at pictures from the accident, I feel that my angel pulled me out right out of that car. Then put me back in, with just a few scratches and a broken bone for good measure, after the car stopped. When I see how the only part of the car that was untouched is where I was sitting and the front driver's side of the car - I am amazed that I was in there.
That's T's blue truck in the background. You can see Riley at the driver's side window and me in the passenger seat.
I can’t imagine being in that car. I can’t believe T was so close when it all happened. It was rare for us to leave for work at the same time in the mornings.
My car ended up being towed to a garage just ¼ mile from our house. For the next several weeks, I could still see my car in the lot. I could see the top of the hatchback since it had popped into the air from the collision.
Almost 9 years have passed and I can so clearly see God’s hand through it all. I am amazed at how calm I was through the whole experience – I truly do not remember being in the car when it happened.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” Psalm 170:1 Whatever difficulties you may confront today, remember it is God who holds you in His hands, just like He held me on that November day. His strength holds you up and enables you to face anything that comes your way.
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