Yeah, I know! I am late on writing this post, but I hope that as you continue to read, you will begin to understand why there was such a delay. In today's post, I am going to take you back into the past - all the way back to November 28, 2019 (Thanksgiving Day).
All Around A Great Day
There is a lot of tradition that encompasses Thanksgiving Day. For all of the tradition that happens in our country at the national level, it amazes me how many unique and complex traditions happen at the family level - specifically in regards to the food that is served.
We visited my Dad's side of the family this year. One of our newer traditions is that we meet at my Grandparents' church for holiday events. My extended family is too large to fit in one home (at least not very comfortably), and even if we could, Grandma gets a bit anxious when too many people show up at her house.
One of my Thanksgiving resolutions this year (I wonder if I just made something new) was not to overeat. I think I did a good job. I ate a bit too much, but not so much that I felt like I was in a food coma. I enjoyed talking with family members that I only see a couple of times a year, and all of the great grand kiddos played Nerf battles in the church gym.
It was a cold day, but a good day. And as we left our family event, we were thankful. This may be one of the last times I see my Grandpa. His health is failing him. He knows his time on this earth is limited. He has said as much. But even knowing that, I am grateful. He has lead and loved his family well. Many more men should be like my Grandpa.
Travelling Home and a Small Detour
I don't particularly enjoy any car ride. As a child, I often got car sick. As an adult, I still get a queasy stomach now and then, but at least I have a front seat (as the driver). My favorite thing about a car ride is talking with my wife. I am a blessed husband. My wife loves me dearly, and I enjoy our "life talks" when we are in the car together.
The gray skies kept the sun from making my eyes hurt. We had to stop and get gas and pick up some snacks at a local gas station. Oh, how times have changed! I remember when nothing would have been open on a major holiday. Now we all have "convenience" at the expense of people who have to be away from their families.
If you have been following my blog for some time, you may remember some references to my time overseas. For a quick recap, my wife and I moved to Indonesia in 2005. Four of my six kiddos were born there. We were deeply blessed by our time overseas. It changed us, and for that, we are thankful. Since returning back to the States, we have been able to connect with two ladies from that part of the world.
On our way home, my wife coordinated a drop by to meet one of the ladies. She had not been able to travel due to a school project she had been working on, so we decided to stop by and eat a (modified) Thanksgiving dinner with her. Our family of eight quickly filled her small apartment. We all sat on the floor and enjoyed some rotisserie chicken, green beans, bread, and leftover sweet potato casserole from earlier in the day.
After dinner was over, we said our goodbyes, and we headed home.
At the stoplight next to Golden Corral
We are a spiritual family. We speak to God through prayer. And as we left our friend's apartment, my wife asked that we offer up a prayer of thanks - a prayer to thank God for His many blessings in our lives. Several of the kids said a short prayer, and as is tradition while we are traveling, a free-form prayer of protection was also spoken.
Red lights mean stop, so our big blue, 12 passenger van came to a slow stop. A few moments had passed (perhaps five seconds) when I heard the screech of brakes. I braced for impact, but there was not enough time to give a warning (which was probably a good thing). Tense bodies tend to take a more significant beating during a car crash.
After the impact, there was a quick blip in the backup camera. I was able to see the pickup truck that hit us for a second, and the image went away. I recalled a ringing in my ears as my wife asked if everyone was ok. Her voice was nervous and shaken. She asked me to call 911, but my hands were shaking, which caused a delay. After reaching the dispatcher, she informed me that someone else had already called in the accident, and at that moment, I saw a man crossing the street with a phone in his hand. He was one of the witnesses and a manager of the gas station across the street.
Two ladies (on their way to Walmart) also saw the events unfold. They graciously helped all of my kiddos out of the car and helped put on jackets. It was a bitterly cold night, so I walked my family to the nearby Golden Corral so that they could stay out of the cold. When I returned, a police officer had finished speaking to the witness and was ready to take my statement.
My body was shaking from the cold, and my mind was shaken by the course of events. I did my best to answer the officer's questions, and then he asked me to try to move my vehicle. I had attempted twice before, buy it seemed that I was stuck on the 1999 Ford Ranger that rear-ended us. With the officer's approval, I tried one more time (with a little more gas) and was able to pull away and park safely in the Golden Corral parking lot.
The 1999 Ford Ranger did not bode as well. The front end of this vehicle was crushed, and I would suspect be totaled. After all the paperwork was completed at the location of the accident, I found my family with little plastic Golden Corral cups filled with water sitting at an eight-person table. They were staying warm and being loved on by the restaurant's workers.
Our van was able to make the rest of the 23-mile ride home. We were all shaken, and soreness and stiffness had already begun to set in. Finally, at home, we unpiled from the van, thanked God again for keeping us safe, and tucked the kids in bed.
Thankful?
I know that as humans, we dance around with a high level of hypocrisy. We say one thing and then do another. Or we expect someone else to do something that we are not willing to do.
Over the last few weeks, I have been reminded that if I claim to be thankful, I need to live out that gratefulness in my everyday life (even when circumstances don't happen the way I want them to).
I have had to battle my ungratefulness in the following ways:
- Dealing with insurance and the repairs has consumed a lot of my time and been frustrating
- My wife and I have both questioned if we should have stopped for the dinner meal that night (and the answer is still yes)
- It is so easy to think poorly of the man who hit us. It has been determined that he was at fault, but he is still a man just like me - not perfect, just trying to make it day-to-day
- How might this accident impact my family and me physically? It seems that we are all doing well, but I have heard horror stories about physical concerns that pop up later.
And as a person who believes that God is good, I struggle with understanding why a car accident is the right thing for my family and me to experience at any time, let alone Thanksgiving Day.
I have said, "I am thankful" many, many times over the years, especially around Thanksgiving. Now I have been given a chance to prove I am not a hypocrite.
Thanks for reading this far. I hope that you and your family are blessed this holiday season. I hope that you can find many things to be thankful for. I sure have!
