After surviving those first critical hours, attention was
directed to the mangled mess that was my body.
My head was sliced wide open necessitating a partial crew-cut. My right eye was bloody and swollen. Horrid lacerations and significant bruising existed
all over. X-rays revealed a broken back, and my parents were told I’d never
walk again. My knees and ankles were injured
– in fact there was no area of my body that completely escaped harm. The most grotesque disfigurement of all was
to my right arm.
The collision between the car and my body commenced an
airborne thrashing compounded by a street sign, a giant wooden cable spool and
finally, a tree. My arm was twisted and crushed in unimaginable ways. The bone between the shoulder and elbow was
shattered. Jagged pieces penetrated the
skin in a zigzagged pattern, practically amputating just above the elbow. My
arm was a bloody mess – and the initial plan was simply to complete the process
of amputation. Gratefully, another
doctor was called in and he began a process that took years, multiple casts,
hours of surgery and an incredible amount of physical therapy. (Gratefully, I say – because I still have a
right arm and 95% + range of motion.)
Surgery lasted over 5 hours.
Since damage was extensive and much of the original humerus remained at
the accident scene, bone from my right hip was grafted into the arm and encased
by 4” of titanium. The recovery was long – but the doctor assured me that it
was IMPOSSIBLE for the right humerus to be broken again – IMPOSSIBLE. The ultimate and irreversible healing of my ugly, mangled arm
amazingly parallels another irreversible healing in me.
Like my arm, I was once a huge mess - mangled,
and badly wounded through years of abuse and rejection. That time in life was further complicated by consequences to my poor choices. There was a hole in my heart that I tried to
fill with the things of this world, but nothing ever satisfied – and those
failed attempts left me increasingly despondent. There were times that I simply wanted to die
– to leave this world. That embarrasses
me now, because I am so grateful for each day….even the difficult ones.
Not growing up in the church, I was exposed to Jesus through
various friends and extended family. The
summer I turned 12, I accepted Jesus as my Savior. Like my right arm would later serve to
illustrate – the promise of an eternity in Heaven could not be broken. My salvation was sealed at the moment of that
decision. However, it wasn’t until
years later that I was able to know the joy and peace that comes from fully
surrendering one’s life to Jesus Christ.
While I knew beyond any doubt that I was a Christian, the concept of
daily dying to self and living for Him remained foreign. Unfortunately too, the
ways of the world still proved enticing.
My walk with Jesus had been on my terms – when
convenient. In my early 20s and pregnant
with a daughter – I came face to face with my need for His guidance and
protection more than ever. Being fearful
of repeating destructive patterns, and having no idea what a Godly mother
looked like – I pressed into Him like never before. Jesus heard my heartfelt, though not eloquent
prayers. Those prayers were and continue
to be answered in ways bigger and better than I could have imagined. Finally, I “got it” – my relationship with
Jesus Christ wasn’t ONLY about a future in Heaven. My relationship with my Lord and Savior is a
daily surrender.
Years after the accident, I discovered a medical arm band
from the hospital – with my name, dates, etc. – and the words: Blood
Recipient. Somehow, I’d missed the
fact that a random person’s blood donation had spared my life. Because of that
selfless gift, I was given additional time on Earth, more opportunity to “get
things right” and further occasion to share the love of Jesus with others. This
serves as another AMAZING illustration: As the life-giving liquid that courses
through our veins, blood symbolizes life.
In the Bible, the blood of Jesus serves as a symbol not of His death,
but of His life poured out for us.
Consider this: I’ll
never know the identity of the person whose blood donation saved my life. However, I know the name of the One whose
blood has reconciled me to God and has sealed my future in Heaven forever. His name is Jesus. He walks with me. He comforts and protects me. He hears and answers my prayers. He leads me and is the model for how I am to
love others. He knows me intimately and
He wants me to know Him the same way.
It’s humbling that a total stranger gave me the gift
of his/her blood. However, it is AMAZING
and awe-inspiring that Jesus, son of God shed His blood for me. He knows EVERYTHING about me – and it’s not
all pretty, yet He loves me. There is
power in His blood. In His blood I found
healing; eradication of my sin; forgiveness and hope for all eternity. The
blood of Jesus has the power to change the inner man… I am living proof.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has
passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
~ ~ ~
It’s not by chance that you are learning my story. There is no such thing as coincidence or
luck. Have you received a divine blood transfusion? Are YOU ready?
“Morality may keep you
out of jail, but it takes the blood of Jesus Christ to keep you out of Hell.”
(Charles Spurgeon)
