A New Perspective

A full day has passed, and my heart is still pulsating faster than normal. Yesterday, I found myself mere miles from home, but seeing the dark countryside anew... on my side in a ditch in my Honda. It's funny, how you can travel life's roads over and over, and then be forced to look from a new perspective.

Traveling down County Road S, the car conceded to the ice, fishtailed, did a 180, then spilled over sideways into the ditch. I was pummeled with my purse, CDs, my SLR, little patters of gum packets, and the uncomfortable weight of gravity. After the motion ceased, I could see smoke in the windy air, and I was hoping it was just the exhaust pipe. Looking out the windshield, I saw packed un-white snow, and hazy icedrops illuminated by headlights. I don't remember details of the conversation I had with Andrew, but I know he kept me calm in the certainly uncomfortable situation. And then, a pair of pants with reflective tape on the cuffs appeared. Shawn, a fireman on his way home from a call came to my rescue. The passenger side door was heavy and frozen shut, but with some push and pull, we opened the door. As I climbed the seats to the outside, I could hear the snow shift under the car; it sounded like glass splintering. Shawn waited with me while my parents and the sheriff came. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the bottom of my car.

Life is precious. And sometimes we don't see how precious it is until we look at it from another perspective. I am thankful for Andrew, for being there for me and keeping me calm; for Shawn, for stopping to pull me out; for the kind sheriff, who was completely understanding; for my parents, for being there immediately and helping me deal with the logistics and legalities; for the towing crew; and for God's protective hand. My car is a bit battered, but I am completely unharmed. As my dad told me, "We can deal with bent metal." I walked away, with nothing more than shock.

I think it was a jolt I needed. In all honestly, I haven't been doing much preparation for the gift that is arriving tomorrow: Jesus. Pastor Hays tonight talked about how Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes. Apparently, because journeys in those days were so difficult, many people didn't make it round-trip. Under their clothes, they would wear swaddling clothes, ultimately so that if they died, they would have cloth to wrap the body. A new perspective: Jesus, wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in the manger, who was prepared to die for us from the beginning. 

The shock wore off during the service tonight, and my mind was flooded with thoughts of the Crossroads accident, my scary ice-hap, and people that I love. Tears were let loose. I was broken knowing that I was spared, and I am saved.

Thank you, God. 

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.