Jorjanne August 11, 2015. An event that day changed my life. A single-car accident on a curve around which I’ve been driving since my husband and I started dating in 1995. That day has become a marker of time for my family. You know, was that before or after the accident? It was a terrible accident, but I walked away with only broken bones. Yes, it took surgery to heal one of my broken collarbones, but I made a complete recovery. Looking at my car after that accident, it seems I am lucky to be alive. Every conversation about my accident included the phrase “You were blessed!” Even now, when someone brings it up or asks if I have any lingering pain, “You are so blessed!” is always their response.
I have no doubt that I was and continue to be blessed. I was blessed to walk away from what could have been a tragic accident. I continue to be blessed because I have very little pain or residual effects, except for the scar on my left collarbone from my surgery. And, those are just the blessings related to my wreck.
I’ve been blessed abundantly in every aspect of my life. I have a large, loving extended family, a long list of friends, a much shorter list of close friends, two smart, handsome, and talented sons, and a good-looking, hard-working, adoring husband. I live in a beautiful home outside a small town located in a country where I have freedoms and financial security that many in this world only dare to dream of.
I’ve been blessed abundantly in every aspect of my life. I have a large, loving extended family, a long list of friends, a much shorter list of close friends, two smart, handsome, and talented sons, and a good-looking, hard-working, adoring husband. I live in a beautiful home outside a small town located in a country where I have freedoms and financial security that many in this world only dare to dream of.
There are days when I don't always feel blessed, though. When I begin to think about what I don’t have, and what I see others do have. Certainly after my accident, when I couldn’t wash my own hair or put dishes in the cabinet because I couldn’t raise my arms, I didn't always feel blessed. What I’ve come to realize, though, is that a blessing is more than a feeling; it’s an action straight from God. There are principles that God put into place when he created this world. If you follow these principles, certain things are going to happen. And, with sin’s entrance into this world, there are principles that have followed us since Adam and Eve. Sometimes, like in the case of my car accident, God steps in to save us, and blesses us with more than we deserve.
Here is what I’ve struggled with more than anything since my wreck. It is evident that I am blessed beyond imagination, whether I feel like it or not. So, why me? Why not the other mother of two boys who was killed in a single-car accident a year later? What did I do to deserve God’s blessing, or what did she do not to deserve it? The answer is: nothing. I have done nothing to earn God’s favor, nor is there anything I can do to earn it. There was nothing the other mother could have done to deserve it, nor was her death punishment for something she had done. That’s not the answer we want to hear, though. I really wanted to find a better answer, but as much as I’ve wrestled with the question “Why?” that’s the best answer I can find.
There are so many hurting in our community. From death and devastation left by terrible storms nearby, to pillars of our community ravaged with disease, from the loss of young people in senseless tragedies, to beautiful families torn apart by divorce, there is so much pain in our little community right now. We look for answers to solve the puzzles of life and death. My pastor, who firsthand knows the pain and suffering of tragic loss twice over, often quotes, “God is God, and I am not.” This side of Heaven, we will not understand why some experience such hurt in this life, while others seem to have it so easy.
 | What I do believe strongly is that even in those times we don’t receive God’s blessing, we still have God’s presence. Those who have lost their lives in tragic accidents, those who are struggling financially, those who are battling disease - none of them have to go through it alone. God is still with them. Take the story of Job in the Old Testament. Satan told God that of course Job would worship Him, because God had never allowed anything bad to happen to Job and had blessed him beyond his imagination. So God allowed Satan to take everything away from Job, and although Job wavered a bit in his faith, he still knew that God was with him. Even in the midst of great and tragic loss, Job still worshipped God. |
I do hope that I never have to experience the total destruction that Job did, and I certainly wouldn't wish that on even my worst enemy. Yet, I know people who are hurting as much as if they had received complete devastation. All I can say is that even in the absence of God’s blessing, you can still feel God’s presence. I hope that you will allow Him to wrap His arms around you and bring you the peace and comfort that can only be found there. And, as wonderful as God’s blessings are, how much more glorious to be in His presence eternally! When we mourn the loss of loved ones, may that reminder bring us solace.
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