When Tragedy Strikes

  By Vickie G. Paver

Around 12:10 a.m. on a Monday, I was sitting at my computer finishing up some work when I heard this terrible sound. BOOM! POP! Suddenly, I felt sick and jelly like inside. I have heard that noise about a half dozen times while living on this road. YES…I knew that sound! It was a car accident. I ran outside. The commotion was down the street. I jumped in the truck and drove to the corner. Quickly, I took in the scene. A car was sitting on its side, partly in a large tree. People were looking up in the tree, in the grass and by the bushes as if looking for someone. I pulled the truck up so they would have more light. Another person was doing the same with his truck. Without warning, the transformer, that was also hit, started buzzing and shooting sparks. They told us to back our trucks away from the transformer and electric lines. As I shifted into reverse I rolled down the window and asked the woman standing next to the truck if she knew where the person was. She said, "There isn’t any response." I didn’t know if there was only one person, two or more. It seemed like forever before the ambulance and fire department got to the scene. It is weird how "TIME" seems to stand still during emergencies. Knowing that my truck would be in the way of the emergency vehicles, I turned around and came home. I felt queasy, sad and upset for the people involved in this accident. Later I found out that a man was driving drunk.

 

About two weeks later, we heard about another accident. A seventeen-year-old girl lost control of her vehicle and hit a tree. Because we knew the family we went to the hospital to give what comfort we could. About twenty five or so family members were at the hospital the night we visited. Yesterday, we found out that she died. She had survived only a week. During times like this it seems that words of comfort dissipate into the air and we are left in the middle of grief.

 

The night we visited the family at the hospital we would see yet another accident as we drove home. On our drive home while driving through the city, we decided to stop at Wal-Mart and pick up an oil filter. It only took about thirty minutes to do our shopping. Soon we were on the road again. About half way home on Oxball hill we saw emergency lights, ambulances, and fire trucks. The man waving his light for us to slow down told us that someone did not make the curve and hit a tree head on. Life Star was called to take the man to the hospital. While we waited to get down the hill, I prayed. And once again, those sick queasy feelings came over me. I prayed for many people during that hour and thanked God that we were not involved in that accident. We later learned that the man, age forty-four, is doing okay.

 

Because of the accidents, it sinks in one more time, that tragedy can come into our lives at any given moment. We are never ready for these times. And I wonder why a seventeen-year-old girl dies and others are passed over. It is not for us to know and we all have an appointed time with death. As we comfort others in this world we try to find the "right words," but no words can make the hurt and devastation go away. The life of a young girl is snuffed out and the life of two men spared. It causes one to question the order of things on this old earth. But once again, I realize that we cannot be the judges of such things and maybe those men did not know Christ. The young girl was a Christian and she is with the Lord.

 

Tragedy strikes everyone. We all have our own personal stories of adversity and trials. Even though we are never ready for these kinds of shattering experiences in our lives, we can still be sure of God. He stands, solid as a rock, dependable, gathering us under His wings as a hen gathers her chicks. I don’t know about you, but when my tragedies come I will be running to my God, the One who knows my inner heart felt feelings. It doesn’t mean I won’t have a hard time dealing with my feelings. It DOES mean I can depend on God to get me through. The treasure found, even in tragedy, is to know that IF Jesus Christ is our foundation (our rock ) we will be with Him someday, forever free of tragedies.

 

Psalm 31:24 Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart,  All you who hope in the LORD.