CRASH! Accidents Happen – And God Still Shows Up
Sunday morning, my wife had an accident on the way to church. Without going into tons of detail, she lost control of the vehicle when she hit a long patch of snow and ice as she came around a turn. No one else was involved. Leanne escaped with some scrapes, abrasions, and soreness, but the car didn’t fare so well (as you can see by the picture above).
What started as a normal winter Sunday morning quickly turned traumatic. We were quickly reminded that accidents happen. When I received a call while I was eating my breakfast between a workout and getting ready for church, a hundred thoughts went through my head. Why am I getting a call at 9:15AM on a Sunday morning? What do you mean my wife had an accident? Is she okay? She is, then how’s the car? What do I do next? My head spun from there.
After the call, I quickly jumped in the shower, threw on some clothes, and ran to the car. Driving to the accident scene, I experienced a mix of other thoughts. “Don’t drive too fast.” “Get to Leanne and the accident scene as soon as possible.” “Watch out for snow-covered roads.”
The rest of the events on Sunday morning were somewhat surreal. Throughout the entire experience I was reminded that God still shows up when things get crazy. Leanne had an accident, but it wasn’t an accident that we have friends who live two houses away from the accident scene. These friends were amazing in helping Leanne, contacting me, and talking to the police officers. Leanne’s parents were here at the time of the accident. This meant that Leanne’s dad could go with me to meet Leanne, and Leanne’s mom could stay with the kids. The accident has obviously created a wave of inconveniences and unanswered questions, but I have found peace trusting that God will provide the answers for how we should proceed – will our car be totaled and how will we pay for a replacement vehicle?
On Monday, we began to get answers as we talked to insurance people and lined up a rental vehicle while we wait for word on the car. As the day continued, we saw God showing up in calmed anxieties and a clearer picture of the protection that He had provided to Leanne during this accident. When we visited the yard where the car was being stored, it was unbelievable to see the amount of broken glass and damage to the car and to realize that Leanne had somehow crawled out of the vehicle and avoided more significant injuries.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23
Over the years, I’ve learned (and learned again) that we can’t always explain why things happen. But we can always remember that God is there no matter what. When things are going well, God is there. When things are mundane, God is there. And when things get bumpy, God is there too!
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39
Accidents have happened and will happen again. This is part of life. I don’t think God causes these accidents, but I’m confident that God still shows up whether accidents happen or not.
How have you seen God recently? When has God shown up for you in the rocky dtimes of life?