11 years ago today was a day I won't forget.
On my way to work while listening to Paul Harvey on the radio (and wearing a borrowed shirt), a pick-up truck with its cab full of teenagers on their way to school turned in front of me. I was traveling at 55-60mph on Highway 412 in Missouri and hit that truck as it turned in front of me.
I'm not sure what happened, but I remember a feeling of "landing" and noticed that my Steven Curtis Chapman cassette tape was now playing. Apparently the impact had somehow caused the tape to insert itself in the player and play. Very odd.
I remember getting out of the truck, Stephen's first, and to this very day, favorite truck. Seeing pieces of it lying on the ground, the front license plate that said something about loving First Baptist Church Leachville lying on the highway. The accident happened in front of what I call a gas station, Stephen refers to it as a liquor store that sells gas. As I walked from the broken truck across the grass to the gas station a man that had seen the accident looked at me and said "oh man, you're pregnant!" I'm not sure what my exact response was, but I'm pretty sure it was something like"DUH!" Not one of my better moments.
I remember looking over at the other truck and seeing gas leaking out of their truck and no one getting out and hearing someone say "call the fire department!" But I was very into myself at the moment.
I made it into the gas station/liquor store and asked to use the phone. (yes, we had a cell phone for emergencies just like this, but I had left it at home) The lady working there said she had to call the police, and I would have to wait. I calmly (ok so probably not calmly) told her that I was IN the wreck and I needed to make some calls! So I called Stephen at home-no answer. I called Stephen at church-no answer. I called my office and told them to tell my boss that I wouldn't be into work today(because I am the best employee ever!) and told them where I was. I called Stephen again and the church phone was busy, busy, busy. I finally woke my friend Jill up who was also pregnant and asked her to please go find Stephen. It was See You At The Pole day and he had 2 campuses to be at.
Ok, Ok, I hear you-long story short. I rode in my very first ambulance. (Just a side note, the paramedics don't like it if you use your own Carmex while in their ambulance. It is against some rules or something. But when a girl needs her Carmex nothing will deter her!) I was taken to a hospital that I didn't want to go to, so after being there for a couple of hours and having contractions and my baby not moving, I rode in my very second ambulance to a hospital of my choosing. My baby began moving again, and my contractions stopped sometime while I slept that night.
My mama came, my in-laws came, it was a scary time. Things could have turned out so differently. I could have been badly hurt, my baby could have been badly hurt. But in God's goodness he saw fit to keep us both safe and healthy. I will always remember that day as a day of family, friendship, and God's graciousness.
That baby will very soon be 11. I was 34 weeks pregnant and would deliver him 4 weeks later. The accident was the first exciting event in the next 4 weeks. I would be in the hospital again for an afternoon, on bed rest for a week and deliver him 2 weeks early due to high blood pressure.
On my way to work while listening to Paul Harvey on the radio (and wearing a borrowed shirt), a pick-up truck with its cab full of teenagers on their way to school turned in front of me. I was traveling at 55-60mph on Highway 412 in Missouri and hit that truck as it turned in front of me.
I'm not sure what happened, but I remember a feeling of "landing" and noticed that my Steven Curtis Chapman cassette tape was now playing. Apparently the impact had somehow caused the tape to insert itself in the player and play. Very odd.
I remember getting out of the truck, Stephen's first, and to this very day, favorite truck. Seeing pieces of it lying on the ground, the front license plate that said something about loving First Baptist Church Leachville lying on the highway. The accident happened in front of what I call a gas station, Stephen refers to it as a liquor store that sells gas. As I walked from the broken truck across the grass to the gas station a man that had seen the accident looked at me and said "oh man, you're pregnant!" I'm not sure what my exact response was, but I'm pretty sure it was something like"DUH!" Not one of my better moments.
I remember looking over at the other truck and seeing gas leaking out of their truck and no one getting out and hearing someone say "call the fire department!" But I was very into myself at the moment.
I made it into the gas station/liquor store and asked to use the phone. (yes, we had a cell phone for emergencies just like this, but I had left it at home) The lady working there said she had to call the police, and I would have to wait. I calmly (ok so probably not calmly) told her that I was IN the wreck and I needed to make some calls! So I called Stephen at home-no answer. I called Stephen at church-no answer. I called my office and told them to tell my boss that I wouldn't be into work today(because I am the best employee ever!) and told them where I was. I called Stephen again and the church phone was busy, busy, busy. I finally woke my friend Jill up who was also pregnant and asked her to please go find Stephen. It was See You At The Pole day and he had 2 campuses to be at.
Ok, Ok, I hear you-long story short. I rode in my very first ambulance. (Just a side note, the paramedics don't like it if you use your own Carmex while in their ambulance. It is against some rules or something. But when a girl needs her Carmex nothing will deter her!) I was taken to a hospital that I didn't want to go to, so after being there for a couple of hours and having contractions and my baby not moving, I rode in my very second ambulance to a hospital of my choosing. My baby began moving again, and my contractions stopped sometime while I slept that night.
My mama came, my in-laws came, it was a scary time. Things could have turned out so differently. I could have been badly hurt, my baby could have been badly hurt. But in God's goodness he saw fit to keep us both safe and healthy. I will always remember that day as a day of family, friendship, and God's graciousness.
That baby will very soon be 11. I was 34 weeks pregnant and would deliver him 4 weeks later. The accident was the first exciting event in the next 4 weeks. I would be in the hospital again for an afternoon, on bed rest for a week and deliver him 2 weeks early due to high blood pressure.
11 years ago today I experienced God at work. I pray that today-11 years later-I get to experience God working (just not in a car accident please!).
Julie
Comments
I hated this day...it still makes me cry, when I read or think about it.
AJL