Many that know me have likely heard this story, however, seven years ago I promised myself and God that I would never forget the significance of this date and it’s impact on my life. Each year I try to take time to reflect on the events of September 24, 2001 and thank God for the life that I now lead.

September 24th of 2001 was a day like most others. With the exception of the torrential down pour of rain that was taking place in Atlanta, Georgia where I lived. It was a Monday morning and I was headed one hour east of Atlanta to Rock Eagle 4-H Camp to meet up with colleagues for a college tour across the state for an orientation trip with University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. The driving was treacherous at times. However, as I excited the highway and started my last fifteen minutes of rural road towards the camp the rain let up to a light drizzle.

I am sure that I was traveling at a nice rate of speed. Neither speeding excessively, but not moving slowly either. I was younger and a little more daring in my driving style. At any rate, I was traveling on a stretch of road that had one oncoming lane of traffic while their were two lanes on my side. I remember making a move into the left lane to pass a delivery truck that was traveling in the right lane. The next few moments happened in a split second.

As I cleared the delivery truck all of a sudden a large amount of water splashed my windshield and coated it with an obscene amount of water, more than my poor little wipers could handle. I suppose I should note that I was driving a Toyota Corolla. At the exact same moment my car began to hydroplane into a heavy stream of oncoming traffic to my left. Panic gripped me as I hit my brakes almost simultaneously as I realized in alarm that hitting your brakes was the wrong thing to do when hydroplaning. Too late. My car started into a spin back into the right lane of traffic.

There are two things I remember VERY clearly at this point. First, looking to my passenger seat as the 21 foot delivery truck I was passing was now plowing through my passenger side door. Literally I remember seeing the “Mitsubishi” printed on the front of the truck coming through my passenger window! And second, praying to God that I wouldn’t hit a phone pole. The world went black.

I wouldn’t wake up for another 20-30 minutes after being secured in the ambulance. The rest of the details come from witnesses and paramedics at the scene.

After coming through my passenger side door my car dragged both vehicles off the road. Upon leaving pavement my car began flipping side to side, witnesses estimated that it flipped 3-4 times. The last flip was said to have almost come through the front window of the delivery truck before taking a miraculous turn and landing parallel to the truck’s passenger side. However, the force of the impact and the pull of my car caused the truck to tip over . . .onto my car. So in the end, my car was facing the opposite direction of the truck and the truck was laying on top of my car – crushing my car to the passenger seat. I am still inside.

The truck driver was not injured. He climbed out of his cab and came over to me. He and the others that stopped waited 10 long minutes as they waited for paramedics to arrive. They couldn’t get me out for fear that the truck would move and completely crush my car with me in it.

The paramedics arrived and spent another 10-15 minutes inflating giant air bags to stabilize the truck and then use the jaws of life to remove me from the car. At one point I woke for a brief second. I remember looking up and seeing the truck’s exterior through my sun roof. Things went black again.

I awoke again in the hospital. I was covered in glass. It was in every crevice of my body. I went through a battery of tests and examinations. I waited alone with the tune “It is a Great Day to Be Alive” by Travis Tritt running through my head. I was high as a kite! It might have been the medicine but honestly was more from the fact that despite knowing many of the details explained here, I knew that I was lucky to be alive. Not lucky, blessed, chosen.

I should have died that day. Colleagues that passed by commented that they knew that the driver of that car couldn’t possibly be alive. The highway patrolman came in with eyes wide and said that he couldn’t believe he was talking to me. . .he hadn’t ever seen anything like that. . .let alone the victim walking away. (He still issued me a ticket – which I took gladly knowing it was a small price to pay for being alive). When all was said and done I didn’t even have a concussion. No broken bones. No head injures. No life threatening internal injuries. Just a few scratches on my arm from broken glass, a black eye, and sore neck!

What I realized that day is that God had a greater purpose for my life. At this point I wasn’t exactly living the committed Christian life I had been called to earlier in my life. Not even close. I decided that perhaps that should change. That if God was willing to give me another day to breathe, perhaps I should honor Him by doing more to appreciate and use it. I thought of all the teenagers I was hoping to reach in my life and that perhaps one of them still needed me. I began my life again. Better this time. Determined to not take life and the small moments for granted.

Now if you know me, you know enjoying the simple moments isn’t something that I do well. I am usually busy planning for the next event. Ambitious as they come, that is me! Perhaps that is why God gave me September 24th – to remember the simple things. . .So today I honor Him by stopping for a few minutes and sharing with you the miracle that is my life. What about you? Are you enjoying the simple things? Or does God need to throw a delivery truck in your path to get your attention? I wouldn’t recommend it!

Afterward: A few more miraculous details from that day:

1. The man driving the delivery truck was not suppose to be driving. He was filling in for his 21 year old nephew who had a doctor’s appointment. The man driving the truck actually had rig experience and was able to steer his truck from driving right over my body.
2. I prayed to not hit a phone pole. I wish I had pictures of that stretch of highway. It is lined with fence posts and telephone poles. The driver explained that I missed a phone pole by only 5 feet – 5 FEET!
3. I walked away with virtually no injuries.
4. The truck that was resting on top of my car was a heavy 21 foot delivery truck, in it was 20,000 lbs of lead exhaust pipes! It should have CRUSHED my car!
5. I was suppose to be transporting a co-worker that morning but at the last minute she had to change her travel plans – she wouldn’t be alive.

(The pictures tell the real story. Due to our lack of internet I have not been able to scan them to post them with this story. I will do so by the end of the week.)

So today – I am glad to be alive, walking to Starbucks with my amazing husband and beautiful baby boy. What an amazing gift! Thank you Lord!

On Sunday we went through our normal routine but at our 9 am feeding I noticed that Isaac’s eye was getting a bit crusty. I did what most modern mothers do and took to the internet to see what might be causing this affliction. (Warning to new or soon to be mothers – while this can be helpful, it can also scare you into a state of paranoia if you are not careful).  After research I was pretty certain that it looked to be a blocked tear duct – fairly common among infants. However, at the next feeding we noticed that the eye was getting progressively worse and was taking on characteristics listed on line as needing medical attention. We headed to the Children’s Urgent Care.

So at 11 days old we are in urgent care with a nurse who states that he is her youngest patient ever! Great! Glad we got that award. After a one-and-a-half-hour wait we saw a doctor who did a culture of the eye and gave us antibiotic ointment to apply over the next few days until we could get in to see our doctor. Of course part of her advice was that if it got worse we should go to the Emergency Room. Turns it was conjunctivitis or pink eye, hmm, not sure where he got that!

I should mention at this point that about every half an hour I broke down in tears. What should we do? Did I cause the infection? Was it going to cause permanent eye damage? Was I missing other signs and symptoms? Was he in pain? How could I make it all go away? Of course, Ben was amazing. Comforting me, helping me out, applying the medicine and taking care of Isaac when I just couldn’t take looking at the infection any more.

By Monday afternoon all was back to normal again. We continued applying the ointment and by Tuesday you couldn’t even tell that there had been a problem. Thank the Lord! One medical emergency down, an infinity of others to go! I sure hope I toughen up a bit.