When Scripture says that when we make plans we really must add to the planning the key ingredient – “If the Lord allows”. I had the weekend all planned out and then a vacation. Well I got the vacation part right as it took . On the Saturday September 30th 2006, I changed shifts with Jim L. so I could work early and then finish the kitchen’s year end inventory. Sunday morning I would come to work cook breakfast and lunch do an order for the up coming week and then be off for a week’s vacation.
Time is not steady for me at this
time as I look back and realize that I must have drifted in and out
of consciousness. I remember being aware that I was still alive,
aware that the car was very much out of shape and that I was pinned
inside of it. As I became conscience I was a little
upset with God --
Then I remember I had a cell phone
with me and to my surprise it worked in an area where normally there
is no coverage. I very
rarely bring it to work as there is no coverage – dead zones, but
this day I grabbed it on the way out the door. Even at the road side
at the accident site another car had stopped and tried to use their
cell phone but it did not work but I was talking away to the 911
operator.
I
remember the fire trucks arriving first – then the ambulance. I
remember having a firefighter in the car next to me – covering the
shattered window with a heavy blanket so it would not collapse on me.
Drifting in and out of conscience I would wake to hear discussions
among the firefighters of what blades to use to cut my car to pieces
to get me out. Watch his leg I heard once – don't use the long
blade use the short one. Final remembrance of being pinned in the
car – they are telling me they are going to lift me out now – I
asked if they were lifting the car seat and me all together – NO –
and then I am man handled out of the car and laid on the ground –
or stretcher – then the pain. Oh unbelievable Pain - my knees were
bent and they straighten one leg. I was told after by another friend
who was one of the firefighters that I did a lot of yelling. I
remember threatening who ever it was – being talked to calmly and
coming to reason that they had to straighten my other leg. I
recollect a question about the one leg feeling better already – and
it was - so logically they had to straighten the other leg.
Remembering
the drive to the hospital picturing going around every curve in my
mind as I have driven that road so many times – they took a turn
and I very alertly asked where they were going – ah a faster route
to the hospital was the attendants answer– not my regular city
route.
Once again time is missing, I wake up
and Tim E. is sitting with me, don’t know what we talked about but
he was there. On another occasion I woke up and Steve L. is
chattering away, I hope I carried on an intelligent conversation.
As I laid in bed at the hospital I
often wondered what the nurses thought. I had so many visitors, and
not all of one age group. So many of the younger spring and summer
staff of Camp IAWAH dropped in and our older staff not to mention my
ageing church family as well. There were so many phone calls and get
well cards; I can’t believe it still - all these acts of kindness
to a person who is often alone tucked away in the kitchen out of
sight. There is so much more to say and be thankful for. There were
gifts of money, gifts of food, gifts of wood, ( I had a wood burning
fireplace for heating) gifts of enabling me to get out of the house,
gifts of company, coming to my house which is so far off of the
beaten path, gifts of reading material and movies to watch. All in
all the gifts of Time that people took to express God’s Love and
for their own love to me -- Thank you so much.
I
want to share about God's provision. Two weeks prior, my daughter and
two grand children move in with me – before this I lived alone with
chickens – rabbits – ducks and two dogs and a cat and homing
pigeons. Donna the city girl had to learn how to take care of all
these as I was unable too for then next year. And she was there when
the hospital sent me home to recover. Without her being there I do
not know what would have happened to all my critters or where I would
had gone – Nine months confined to a bed, or a wheel chair.
(the other car)
No comments:
Post a Comment