february 9, 2018.
a week ago today.
A Story of Grace
"i know you don't like driving this car," my mom said as we approached the stoplight.
"thank you for driving." i nodded.
this week was treatment week & my mom wasn't feeling well, so i slid behind the wheel.
we were sitting at the light for only a minute before it turned green.
i lightly pressed my foot on the gas & the car lurched forward & into the dip before the crosswalk.
"whoops, sorry!"
it's true. i hate driving this car. it's so touchy.
i applied more, controlled, pressure to the gas & pulled out into the intersection, ready to make a left.
that's when everything became slow-motion.
it was just last month that i told my mom i hoped to never get in a car accident.
but right here, right now, it was happening.
all i know is i'm glad my mom wasn't the one driving when the champagne colored car ran a red light.
she came out of nowhere. no screeching breaks, just impact. right in front of the driver's door.
it wasn't until after my car skidded & stopped & i was able to put it in park that i realized an airbag was on my lap & my ballcap had been knocked off my head. the windshield was cracked where the passenger airbag deployed & the wipers, now broken, were scraping across the window.
accidents are scary.
accidents are surreal.
in the chaos of the moment--taking in the reality of what had just happened, in crying out to Jesus & people rushing to make sure we were okay, in tears filling our eyes & pain setting in, in acknowledging that this was yet another attack from the enemy this week--there was a weird peace.
an "I've got you in My hands," kind of peace.
God's grace abounds.
you see, what the enemy meant for evil, God works for our good.
instead of crying out in anger that yet another thing has gone wrong this week, we cried out in praise.
life is a gift. a true blessing.
i could just imagine the enemy letting out a sigh of defeat & mumbling under his breath the words: "well that didn't work to discourage them, cool."
no, the enemy has no hold. he thought he could win by piling suffering on top of suffering but in that moment we caught on to his plan.
the victory isn't his.
if anything, the wreck has put suffering into perspective. even in the midst of the mess, there is grace.
mom could have been the one driving. grace.
had i not lurched into the dip, i would have been further into the intersection & the car would have slammed right into my door. grace.
had we not been wearing my ballcaps (shameless plug. help a sister out & buy one to send me to Malawi!!), the airbags would have bruised our faces. grace.
the injuries could have been a lot worse. grace.
grace & grace & grace & grace.
y'all, God is good. ALL the time.
His grace is enough.
xoxo,
katie