These are the
tiny shoes and the exact outfit our little Nathan was wearing at 6
months old when God spared us in an automobile accident exactly ten
years ago today. These adorable little shoes rest on a shelf in our
breakfast area as a constant reminder of God’s faithfulness.
The evening sky was dark and rainy.
Little Nathan was asleep in his car seat when a truck hydroplaned and
crossed the median on Interstate 75 right in front of our car. We had
nowhere to go. We T-boned the truck at full speed. In the split
second before impact, my only thought was of my baby in the back
seat. I blacked out and when I came to all I could hear was my baby
crying. I couldn’t move; the pain in my back was excruciating.
Steve’s door was jammed shut. I began to scream for help. Although
only seconds passed, it seemed much longer. A kind young man ran to
my door and when he opened it, my only words were, “Please check on
my baby!”
He gently unbuckled Nathan and once he was out of the car, he stopped crying. A thorough doctor’s exam at the ER would later confirm that he was perfectly fine. Not a bruise, not a scratch. The car was smoking so the scared young man who was helping us urged us to get out of the car. Stunned and scared ourselves, we got out the best we could. Unknown to me at that time, my back was broken, thus the terrible stabbing pain. I crawled out on my hands and knees, made it to the side of the road and rolled over flat on my back. Since Steve couldn’t get out of his door, he crawled out on my side with one broken hand and the other bleeding profusely from several cuts. With his injured hands, he took Nathan from the man and Nathan was content to look around taking it all in. He wasn’t crying anymore at all. The man’s friend brought a blanket from their truck and wrapped it around Nathan. I still have that blanket. I don’t know this kind stranger's name or what he looked like, but I thank God he cared enough to help.
As I was lying in the emergency room,
pain medicine starting to take effect, my mind came to a humbling
realization. For about three weeks prior to this accident, I had felt
impressed to pray especially for Nathan’s protection. From the very
first day Nathan came home from the hospital, I have spoken God’s
promises over him every night at bedtime. But I began specifically
to speak protection scriptures like Psalm 91, Psalm 34:7 and others
over him while praying for his safety. I knew right then in that ER room
why I had felt so impressed to do that. I praised God for answering
those prayers and I still do.
There were other things that I know
were done to prepare for what was going to happen. Nathan had
outgrown his infant car seat. I had researched online for the safest
convertible car seat we could afford, and it had been installed just that Monday.
However, Nathan’s head had a tendency to fall forward when he fell
asleep. Since we knew we would be driving a greater distance Friday evening,
we adjusted the seat before we left so he could rest comfortably without his
head slumping forward. Had his head been leaning forward, the force
of the impact could have caused serious injury.
There were also no vehicles immediately
behind us in our lane, so when our car came to a sudden stop, there
was no one behind us to collide into the back of our car, where
Nathan was sleeping. My mother said it was like angels kept all the
traffic back. And I believe God did that too. Semi-trucks are a
constant on I-75, but at that time, there were none in sight.
Although this was ten years ago, We
will never forget. Psalm 78: 4, “We will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has
done.” As I think back on that frightful night that could have
turned out immensely worse that what it did, I know that God is
faithful. I know he loves us. And I know he has a purpose for our
sweet, intelligent, analytical and funny, now 10 year old boy,
Nathan.
