Around 5pm this afternoon, Lezlie and Chris were on their way home from Chris' Grandfather's funeral in Kentucky. Twenty minutes away from the house, a gentleman swerved into their lane and crashed head on into Lezlie's little honda. He said that the GPS had fallen off the windshield and he reached down to pick it up. When he looked at the road again, the car in front of him had slammed it's brakes. He swerved to avoid hitting them. He was doing 65 miles an hour when he impacted Chris (on the driver side). Chris was doing close to 55 miles an hour. The airbags deployed and the ambulances rushed them both to the hospital quickly. The car, of which I will post pictures later, is completely destroyed. I'd be surprised if any joint or hinge in the car is still in tact.
I got to the hospital a little after 6pm. Of course, when something serious happens, the town of Dahlonega decides to choose that particular day to repave roads. Sitting in traffic, not knowing the situation at the hospital nor any details of the wreck, you'd think I would have FREAKED out of my skin. Somehow I sat there completely calm, just waiting, knowing today was not the day to cause another accident. My poor mother couldn't handle a two-for-one. See, even in this little detour of my own blog, you're probably wanting me to move onto how Lezlie and Chris are doing. I knew that it was bad. Mom was close to hysterical and not rationalizing on the phone...but yet I was calm. I only have one answer. Jesus was with me.
I arrived at the hospital and learned the details of the accident, in which I then demanded to see my sister. She's my sister, the only one (of two) that I have and I'm sorry to all the others waiting to see her, She's mine. When I got back to her, she was in severe pain. I've never seen her make that face before. She held up like a trooper, but as the nurse and I undressed her and settled her into the newest fashion trend (blue diamonds, open sling back, ties at top), I knew everything in her was screaming.
CT Scan and X-Rays revealed that she had two broken ribs, she has a laceration on her spleen and her kidney, and to top the cake, she's fractured her knee. The bruising on her leg is sad. They've wrapped her knee, pricked her with a thousand needles (of which I almost told the nurses off about), taken more pints of blood then she has in her body, and stuck her with a morphine drip for the night. The doctors want to monitor to make sure the spleen doesn't rupture through the night and tomorrow. Why she isn't in worse shape, I have no idea, other than to say: Jesus was with her.
Chris' injuries, although more severe, will take just as much time to heal. He shattered his tibula and his fibula. The Tibula is twisted funky as well. Tomorrow morning the orthopedic surgeon will be piecing him back together. They plan on inserting a steel rod and some pins to help out the bone back together. From what I understand, it's a permanent setup, plate and all. Airport security is going to be fun :) He should be back on his feet, although not running, here in a couple weeks. He's in a cast tonight, morphine drip, the whole shabang. Why he isn't in worse shape, I have no idea, other than: Jesus was with him.
The general surgeon (the organ guy, I like to call him) came in and looked at Lezlie's injuries around her waste and his comment to them both was, minus the seat belts and airbags, they would have both been killed instantly because of the trauma to the organs. The doctor said: The seatbelt saved your life.
So as parents sleep in hospital fake pull out couches that really yield no sleep at all, I'm sitting at home preparing for the day tomorrow and continuing to help manage one crisis in the series of many family moments these last few days...and all I can think is wow. The doctors statement was false. Today I see it again that God is the giver of life. Yes, the seatbelt was instrumental in minimilizing the injuries, but Jesus saved their lives.
I could be planning two funerals tonight and grieving over my sister and my brother, instead, I'm rejoicing that God has given us another day to live life together. It's the reminder: Life is but a vapor....it's here and then its.....
Life today - right now - this moment - is a precious and fragile gift from God. You can waste it being stupid, allowing bitterness, anger, envy, and unforgiveness to swell up in your heart. You don't even have to waste it doing stupid selfish things, like drinking yourself into the grave....Self-righteousness and pride can take it just the same. Live today. Anger Free. Worry Free. Forgiven and forgiving others. Love today. Love beyond yourself.
Jesus saved Lezlie and Chris' lives today, but He saved mine too. He saved yours. What are you going to do with it?
Oh my dear sweet Jesus....This has freaked me out enough to get me bawling. Praise the Lord that they are alive and that God always has us in His hands- even when it doesn't feel like it! PLEASE tell both of them that they are in my prayers. I wish I could book a ticket to Georgia right now, actually...
ReplyDelete-Amber (Hayes)