It's been a week.
We had a JV football game on Monday, and Clark had a GREAT game! Jim's parents got to be there and everything.
Seems like I've already written this before.
I let Joshua go to his Therapeutic Recreation all 3 days this week...he usually only goes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, bc...oh the driving. But, with Mrs. Sherrie's mom passing away and the group being all tenderhearted in that regard..they all wanted to be together, so I took him all 3 days.
We have an away football game on Friday night, and then planned to go to Homecoming at Arkansas State University on Saturday. Logan and Morgan's church is hosting a tail-gate at the church before the game, so that families can meet each other. We even talked about spending the night, because their church is having a special thing for the parents of the college kids on Sunday.
Their church has an "adoptive parents/grandparents" program for the college kids, where older couples "adopt" a couple of college guys or girls, and hang out with them during the week...or once a month...whatever they all agree is best for them. Logan's "parents" have been so kind to Logan and his roommate. They found out that they liked football, so their regular night to meet in the fall is Mondays...and they watch Monday Night Football with the "Dad," and the "Mom" cooks for them. I mean, seriously? Those boys are in Heaven! We've never met this couple, and were looking forward to connecting with them this weekend.
But then we got the call Wednesday night...and everything changed in an instant.
I guess we all have our worst-nightmare scenarios in our heads...and they probably change as we go through life. When I was younger, I thought how awful it would be if something happened to my parents. When I married, I couldn't imagine losing Jim. When I became a parent, I hoped that nothing would ever happen to one of my children.
There are all kinds of thoughts that run through your mind once your kids leave for college. I mean, you can't be there with them all the time (not that your presence can prevent everything)...and your worst nightmare would be to get a call that something has happened to one of them. You couldn't get to them fast enough, am I right?
Morgan's sister, Bailee, was in a terrible car accident on Wednesday night. Someone crossed over the center line and hit her vehicle head-on. It did not look good. Morgan's mom called to tell me that she was on her way there. Honestly, I could barely understand her. She was so gripped with emotion. I was so thankful her sister was driving for her. It's about a 2 1/2 hour drive.
They had to use the jaws of life to get Bailee out of her car. When she "came to," that's what she saw...and heard. She told her Mom she was so scared. The paramedics asked if there was someone they could call, and she mentioned a friend...so the friend came to the scene to see how serious it was before she called Bailee's mom in a panic. The next person she called was Morgan, and she raced to the hospital. Logan met her there. Morgan's dad drives a truck. On any given day, he could be anywhere in the United States. On this day? He "just so happened" to be in a town just 45 minutes away from the accident. A God thing.
Someone called the college pastor, and word began to spread through the college ministry. Bailee's "adoptive parents" heard about it and went straight to the hospital to be with her (and Morgan and Logan) until the parents could get there. Seriously, how sweet is that? Even typing it now...even tho she's not my child...tears are streaming down my face at the compassion of these sweet people. If it WAS my child, and I was on my way...nothing would bless me more than to have someone there for them that cared for them...who was connected to them...who was praying for them and supporting them and waiting with them until I could get there. I don't know. I am just amazed by it. If you have a college in your town, then you probably have a college ministry at your church. And if you do, you should really consider this whole adoptive parent thing. We thought it was mainly older couples...and it is. But there are also younger couples who have also stepped up. Logan's "Mom" told me that they have more willing parents than they have college kids signed up to participate!
Bailee has a long road ahead. She will likely have to withdraw from college for this semester...maybe the next. But her injuries, while extensive and severe, are not life-threatening.
So thankful for God's hand of protection on her because it could've been a LOT worse.
I am reminded of the quote from Corrie ten Boom that says, "hold everything in your hands lightly, otherwise it hurts when God pries your fingers open." We think that applies to our material possessions...never do we want to think that it might also apply to our children. But they came from God...and He can most certainly allow many things into our lives that accomplish His purpose and bring Him glory; things that to our human minds seem so hard; things that seem so...WRONG or unnatural or uncaring.
But He loves us more than anything. He loves our children more than we ever could. He sees the big picture. He knows the plan. Our life here is a mist...a vapor...and He has so much more in store for us than what we can know or see.
"...you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." James 4;14
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