Celebrating One Year Anniversary Today

Today is my one year anniversary.  On this day, February 5, 2018, I lost control of my Honda on an icy highway during a heavy snow storm, crossed the yellow line and took a direct hit to my driver's door on the wrong side of the road.  My daughter grabbed my hand after we stopped and pleaded with me to tell her I was okay but I couldn't speak nor could I breathe.  As the oncoming van approached I pretty much knew my life was coming to a conclusion.  Despite my seven broken ribs, lots of strange gurgling noises from inside my body and a spleen injury, I was shocked I was still conscious when my vehicle pinged backwards in a counter-clockwise motion through traffic landing in a pile of snow on the edge of the highway.  Four minutes later the EMT's ripped me out of the car from the passenger side and transported me to the hospital.

I was recounting the story with Nancy at the dentist office while she was cleaning my teeth yesterday.   I didn't get the opportunity to see her when my day job hours changed six months ago and I needed to reschedule my appointment.  While I was laying back in my dentist chair looking up at the square tiles on the ceiling, my mind drifted to that night in my hospital room.  They moved me out of the trauma center into a recovery room located on the top floor.  The neck brace meant I could only look up at one tile directly over my head.  I asked my family to please stay home due to the extreme weather conditions.  Other than the hourly visits from the nurses, the only sound I recall was from the helicopter landing on the roof top in the middle of the night.  The entire time I was in the hospital I was praying for healing.  Many other friends and family members were doing the same thing.

When my family came to visit the following morning, my wife was surprised they were already asking me to get up and walk.  She looked at me in disbelief when they told us they were considering discharging me later in the day and sending me home.  The hospital scans were showing positive signs my spleen was healing and surgery was not necessary.  I went home 24 hours after the accident.  At 4:58 pm on February 6, I posted my daily blog message from home.  My sister offered to fill in for me while I was in recovery but I was able to keep writing even though I was groggy from the pain medicine.

I often ask myself why God spared me.  It wasn't to make me a believer because I'm already part of God's team.  It was to make believers out of all the doubters in the world I cross paths with.  Besides being a husband and father to three adult children, my true purpose on this planet is to publish daily stories about all the good Jesus is doing in my life so that others may come to know the one I follow and believe.  I've been called to serve on the "special forces" unit and Jesus has been shaping me for this role all my life.  The accident was part of my training.  This blog is the place where my talent for writing is honed.  Later this year I will be celebrating my 10th anniversary of blog writing.  I'm also celebrating our 30 year wedding anniversary this year.

I don't know when my story will end but I'm 100% certain I know where it will end.  It's a special place Jesus is preparing and he promises there are plenty of rooms for all my friends.  Follow Jesus and I promise you your life will never be the same.  He can turn water into wine.  I'm having two glasses with my wife tonight to celebrate the one year anniversary of the accident and our upcoming 30 years wedding anniversary this summer.  White wine is her favorite and it won't stain my teeth.  Thank you for reading my daily stories and for sharing them with your friends.  Special thanks to all the prayer warriors who prayed for my recovery.  Have a great day.