I think most all of us are familiar with the movie “Its A Wonderful Life.” It is probably my Mom’s favorite movie of all time. She watches it every year at Christmas. I have seen it mulitple times myself. A few of those times I have thought, “I wonder what would be different had I not been around?” I don’t think that way anymore. I can see avenues, circumstances, and relationships that are affected by my presence, good or bad my presence caused a change. To think about all the things I can see where change happened I can’t even begin to fathom the things I cannot see that were changed.
I am thinking about this because 7 years ago this week I thought I was living my dream life. I had the career I wanted, friends, family, finances, I had everything until one morning in a pouring rain my truck decided the interstate would make a nice slip n slide. My sliding stopped abruptly as my truck became the hood ornament for an 18-wheeler. That day should have been my last here on earth but instead I walked away from that accident with some minor injuries and a ball set in motion that earlier that morning I wouldn’t have even considered.
By the end of the week I was in the beginnings of the end of my dream career. I didn’t know it at the time but later realized that what was my dream was not in my best interest. I think it took getting hit by a Mack truck to wake me up from that. Since that rainy day in South GA I have left my dream job, went back to a dreaded job, taken several just pay the bills jobs, and now I’m at a steady job that has blessed me in more ways than I thought a job could. I know I complain about the work (or lack of) and it isn’t any line of work I would have ever considered but the company is good, the people kind, and the lessons learned invaluable.
I have spent more time with family over the past 7 years than I would have in the dream job. I know that family is important and those memories are invaluable. Just this past weekend I was remembering fun times with a cousin, times that wouldn’t have happened if that accident had ended differently. Times that my cousin stated were some of her favorite memories.
In the past 7 years I have gone on mission trips I never had an interest in before. I have been involved in retreats I wouldn’t have done before. I have made friendships that couldn’t have happened if 7 years ago had been different. I have loved on and cared for children that aren’t even 7 years old yet.
I did not have a crisis of life like George Bailey because I didn’t know I needed one. One was provided for me by a wet road and an 18-wheeler. Occasionally I start thinking of myself as more important than I ought and then I get this slight twinge of pain in my left side, that gentle reminder of a day when I was knocked down a few pegs and my perspective changed drastically. I have worked harder on my relationship with my Lord and Savior, with my friends and family, and with total strangers than ever before in my life. I had a good life before the accident but I have had a great life since the accident.
I don’t even mind the occasional twinge of pain in my left side anymore. What was once an annoyance is now a thermometer keeping check on my attitude and self importance levels.
2 Comments
13 August 2009 at 1:35 pm
Riding with God is like that bumper sticker I like. Get in, sit down, shut up, and hold on!
24 August 2009 at 11:06 am
Wow. What a great testimony. God takes us if we let him on so many journeys….I am glad you walked away from your accident and ran head on into your life!!