Sometimes the worst fears we have regarding our kids are scary to think about but almost seem so distant, like they happen to other people and almost as if they could never happen to us even though logically we know they could. Well…my darling Lincoln got a new bike last week and wanted to test it out…past the driveway. The problem is that we live in the city and on a corner and he is a daredevil. Just as he exited the driveway and entered the street a lady was driving by. Lincoln ended up T-boning the car on his bike and flipped over the handlebars onto the windshield. As far as we can tell, his elbow is what smashed the windshield, forcing his arm up and breaking his collarbone. He also suffered a crack in his pelvis but had no internal or head injuries so we are so very grateful! I was vacuuming at the time. I didn’t hear it and I didn’t see it. I turned off the vacuum when I was done and heard his screaming outside. I ran out the front door and straight to him sitting at the end of the driveway crying. On one hand I wish I did see it so maybe I could have yelled to him to stop before it happened. On the other hand, I am grateful that the visual memory of it will not haunt me. The poor woman didn’t know what to say. It really wasn’t her fault. Our street is covered with cars parked on it and it would be impossible to see Lincoln coming down from the driveway. I wish I had the time to console her but all I could do was worry about Lincoln and my other kids watching it all from the yard.
The reason I am sharing this is because I should, because I have a platform to do so and because I need to share what I learned from it all. This was just an accident. No blame. Accidents happen and sometimes kids go beyond their limits, the rules and the best advice we can give them. It happens. What I have learned from this is the usual…a lesson that I already knew. Now I understand this lesson on a different level and can speak about it from experience. My lesson…reactions. A lot happens to us in this world of uncertainty and dissapointments. I have not always done well at reacting slowly and containing my emotions. Don’t get me wrong, there is a time and a place for this quick and strong display of emotion and action. My reaction to this particular situation was in slow motion. I didn’t even cry through it. I listened carefully to the EMTs, the doctors and the nurses. I took it all in, I kept my eyes on Lincoln the whole time and I was in tune with what was going on. I don’t know how this came to be this day but I can tell you that my relationship with the Lord has grown so much over the past few years and I have more faith in God than I have energy to waste on the unknown. As I said, a lesson I already knew but now I know it personally and from experience. I know that my reaction had a lot to do with how well we all coped with the situation, the level of freaking out we all did during and after it all and how quickly we were able to keep going with life, with recovery, etc. This is not me bragging about how well I handled the situation but rather how grateful that the Lord took care of Lincoln and all of us dealing with it. Thank you Lord for giving me the patience and the calmness I needed to listen and do what needed to be done at every moment. It is not a boast about me and my reactions but rather a boast about having a relationship with the Lord and His awesome power and grace.
As Brant and I are embarking on a new adventure by opening up www.jonesdesignhouse.com, we are terrified of letting go of what we know, steady income and a life that includes a little bit of free time. We are exchanging it all for the opportunity to work together, to have endless growth opportunities and to do what we love. This incident with Lincoln shows us that He really does have our lives and our best interest in His hands. We can trust Him and His word.
Praise to God for the safety of my son and for another blessing on my road following His plan.
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