The telephone ring awakened me from a sound sleep. The shaking voice of a young friend told me of a serious traffic accident involving her parents in a city near where I now live. She lives about 2000 miles away. She would be flying in to our city tomorrow. Could I be available? Of course I could.
This morning her father is in critical condition and her mother serious but stable. My friend will be meeting her brother from New York City at the airport here and driving to the city where her parents are hospitalized. I am available for backup and hopefully a visit when the crisis is passed.
It is all reminiscent of the death of my daughter in a traffic accident. How life changes in a split second. One minute we are consumed by the little stories and storms of our lives and the next second we are overwhelmed by disaster and tragedy. We proceed with the decision making and the moment to moment sadness not really understanding how profoundly our life has changed. What just happened will change the day to day and the long term trajectory of our lives.
How do we get through all this?-because it will happen in many of our lives. It really is impossible to prepare for the unexpected but there are a couple of things that help. Know who your support system is. Have phone numbers available. Have an emergency fund available.
Have a relationship with God. He hears us even if we haven't connected for a long time but it is so much more reassuring if we are know He is with us-if we are used to being in conversation with Him. And He does promise He is always with us.
Blessings-Penny
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