Life turns in an instant.
Our family relearned that ancient truth July 4, when a southbound car careened into the northbound lane of a rural highway in southwestern Oklahoma, crashing head-on into my parents' minivan.
We still grieve with the family and friends of the driver of the other car, who died at the scene of the accident. And yet we continue to thank God my parents, Margaret and Marvin Knox, were spared.
Not that life has been easy since then.
Mother was driving, and her side of their vehicle took the worst of it. She suffered nine broken ribs, a compound fracture of her right femur, deep cuts beneath both knees and, quite literally, bruises from her ankles to eyebrows. The crash pinned her between the steering wheel and her seat, and emergency crews needed 56 minutes to free her from the wreckage.
Daddy got off lighter and walked away from the wreck. But still, he broke several ribs and sustained so much bruising that, a few days later, he needed a blood transfusion. He's recuperated well from his quadruple bypass heart surgery last fall, but it's hard not to be concerned about a heart patient who survives a head-on car crash.
For a couple of days, they recuperated in hospitals in separate cities. Then Daddy got out of the hospital, and that simplified logistics. Mother eventually moved to a rehabilitation hospital, where she's made painful but diligent progress.
Through this ordeal, we've been reminded of several truths:
• Even in the worst of times, God's love is tangible, and God's presence is real. One of the hardest experiences is watching a loved one suffer and not being able to alleviate it. But when Mother's anguish spiked, she knew the Lord was with her, feeling her pain. Sitting in a chair or standing by her bed, I knew it, too.
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• Prayer makes a difference. When life is easy, I can, and do, join serious discussions about the theological implications of intercessory prayer. The questions are limitless. In times of distress, I simply lean into prayer. I pour out my concerns to my heavenly Father, who loves me. And knowing hundreds of others are voicing those same prayers is powerful.
• Friendship is a treasure. As news of the wreck spread, we heard from scores—probably hundreds—of friends and family from all over. Every expression of care lifted our spirits, provided us hope.
• Miracles happen. In our case, they were performed by people wearing scrubs at OU Medical Center, Duncan Regional Hospital and Valir Rehabilitation Hospital. God used the trained minds, compassionate hearts and skilled hands of doctors, nurses and therapists to heal two lives.
With grateful hearts, we say thanks.
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