One year ago today, the Lord spared the lives of both of our daughters. One year ago today, he protected them in a car crash that profoundly affected their lives. One year ago today, one daughter’s back was broken, but God did not allow her to be paralyzed. If the impact had been one or two seconds later, Hannah would almost certainly not have survived the crash. Instead she walked away mostly unharmed. If Ellen Beth had stayed upright in her seat rather than diving to the middle to protect herself, she might have only been bruised rather than having a fractured spine. If only, but the Lord was in control of it all. He superintended every second of that terrible day: the terror as the van suddenly appeared accelerating through a red light, the crash that destroyed their car and spun it in the intersection, the moments immediately after as Ellen Beth screamed and Hannah jumped out to pull her from the car, the gas pooling around the vehicle, Ellen Beth’s legs that would not work, the young men from the oil change shop on the corner who ran with blankets to help, the nurse from Children’s Hospital who was right behind them and who ran from her car to render aid at the scene. Every moment, every aspect, everything about that day was governed and guided by the sovereign providence of a God who is almighty and all-loving, ever-present, and yet transcendent. The girls had nightmares for a long time; they still sometimes do. Ellen Beth spent two weeks in the hospital, three months in a wheelchair, and lives with pain in her back every day to this day, one year later. But they survived. And God used it for good, just as he promised to do.
It would be inappropriate for me to name every way that day has changed our family and our daughters’ lives. This is far too public a forum for that. Perhaps those details will be recalled on Judgment Day or remembered in glory. But there are some things that can and should be said. After all, when God promises to “work all things together for the good of those who love him,” he does not promise we will always see that work with our own eyes. We see the fulfillment of that promise by faith, but we will enter glory still ignorant of just how many ways that promise proved true so that we might be fitted for glory.
Ellen Beth was an accomplished baker and pastry artist when a reckless driver ran a red light and changed her life. She had two years of professional training, a national industry certification, and a growing home business making custom cakes. Two weeks in the hospital convinced her God had a different path for her life. She wanted to help other people the way so many helped her during a dark and painful time. She thought, she prayed, we watched, and we waited. By the time she got out of the wheelchair, she knew her future lay in healthcare. By summer she was volunteering at a local hospital, obtaining CPR certification, and applying for a nursing assistant program. A few weeks ago she passed her state boards to become a licensed nursing assistant, and she has been hired to begin work at the same local hospital. Now she is registering for prerequisite courses in the Spring semester and plans to apply to nursing school. There is no way to know how many people she has already encouraged, comforted, and helped by her volunteer work, during her clinicals, and just by allowing us to tell her story. There is no way to know how many lives she will positively impact as a patient care technician and, perhaps one day, our Lord willing, as a registered nurse. But God knows. He knows every one of them. And every one of those touches are the result of a reckless driver running a red light and nearly killing both of my daughters.
We were blessed to have two daughters that were exceptionally accomplished and mature even before the crash. But there is no question that day changed them. They are wiser. Their souls have grown older. They experienced horror that day. There was no way to save them from it. Pulling your sister out of a mangled car as gasoline pools at your feet leaves a scar they will carry forever. They tasted terror, and they saw the goodness of God, his nearness, his power, his presence. They no longer have to fear disaster; they’ve already been there, and they found their Savior was there ahead of them, standing on top of the water in the midst of the storm. He was waiting for them in that intersection because he knew what would happen. He would not allow them to face it alone. He did not keep them from danger and fear, but he held their hand and led them safely through it. I do not know what hardships lie ahead of my daughters, but I can imagine there will be many if the Lord prolongs their lives. But I do not fear whatever they may face. They have experienced God’s hard providence, and it led them to a greater trust and a closer walk with Christ.
Thank you to all who have prayed for us, encouraged us, and helped us in countless ways over the last year. Ellen Beth has daily pain from her back, but she does not use any prescription pain medication and has not had to in a very long time. She manages the pain with weekly acupuncture, electrical stimulation, heat and ice, and regular exercise. She is training hard, working hard, studying hard, and living with joy. The crash and injury did not rob her of her delight with life, and it has not robbed us of the joy of her smile. Her cheeks still cramp from laughing almost every day. Our home is full of laughter even after so many tears. Our lives will never be the same, but God has used that fateful day one year ago and the months following to draw us closer to himself and better fit us for everlasting glory.
One year ago today, the Lord spared both of our daughters. He did not have to. If he had taken them instead, his promises would still be true, and he would still be good. But he spared them, and we are thankful. Praise be his holy Name.
--Joel & Kirstie
