Thanksgiving 2020. What a year this has been. I can’t think of one person that hasn’t had somewhat of a rough year. And not just because of Covid. It seems like there has been so much loss, families that have split, adult children who have turned their backs on their parents, friends who don’t see eye to eye politically causing a major rift in their relationship, friends and family suffering from cancer…the list goes on and on. But, I think we can all still think of many, many things that we are thankful for. For me, it’s the fact that one of my absolute greatest blessings in life is with us today to celebrate her birthday.
On July 4th of this year, my oldest daughter had a pretty serious accident while we were in Tennessee visiting my mom and stepdad. During a family walk following our Independence Day cookout, she grabbed a scooter on a whim from her younger brother and decided to take a ride down a mountain road in my parent’s neighborhood. Now, this was no special scooter. It wasn’t motorized and didn’t have a brake. Instead, it was a simple 4-wheeled kick scooter with a deck to stand on and a T-shaped bar, similar to a “Razor” scooter. Let me add, also, that Daelyn is not usually a risk taker. She is a competitive dancer, so she is typically super cautious. She often sits out on any activity that could cause an injury because she doesn’t want to miss any part of the dance season. But, on this particular day, she threw caution to the wind and decided to have a little fun. Vacation has a way of making us carefree.
As she began descending down the hill, having the time of her life, she gained speed much faster than any of us would have thought. She was soon traveling much too quickly toward a main road where the speed limit was 55 mph. Unfortunately, her only option was to jump off of the scooter in order to avoid traveling out into fast-moving traffic. My husband estimates she was going about 25-30 miles per hour when she jumped, so her landing was anything but graceful. Her face took the brunt of the fall on a curb, leaving her with 3 broken teeth, major road rash on her face, and lots of other scrapes and bruises on her arms and legs. Her daddy saw the accident up close because he had begun running to help her. For days after the accident, he couldn’t get the image out of his head because he said when she hit, he thought there was absolutely no way she’d be able to stand back up. But, miraculously, she immediately did. And my girl was even laughing.
God sent an angel in the form of a man named Jody to assist us. He lived in a trailer across the street from where Daelyn’s accident occurred and came running out as soon as he heard her hit. It still makes me cringe when I think that he HEARD the force of the hit from inside of his trailer. Jody was a former EMT and knew exactly what steps needed to take place in order to get Dae the help that she needed. He asked her several questions to make sure she was still alert and aware of her surroundings, which she passed with flying colors. He then gave us directions to the nearest hospital and sent us on our way. Thank you, Lord, for Jody.
On our 30 minute drive to the ER, I asked Daelyn where she was emotionally with things. She looked me square in the eye and said, “Mom, God allowed this to happen for some reason. I’m not sure what that reason is, but I am ok with it. He must be trying to teach me something.” All I could do at that point was stand in awe of God and the peace that only HE can offer. Thank you, Lord, for your peace.
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. ~ Isaiah 26:3
The miracles continued throughout the evening. In the ER, Daelyn was seen by a Nurse Practitioner named Michelle who immediately ordered a CT scan of her head, neck, and face because she said there were likely multiple fractures that would be found. An x-ray was also ordered of her wrist because when she hit, Daelyn tried to catch herself with her hand, so it was causing her quite a bit of pain. Michelle began talking about the likelihood of having to send us to the University of Tennessee Medical Center because her injuries appeared extensive. Through this entire process, the Lord was with us. I can’t explain the peace that was felt in the hospital room. Daelyn remained steady, as usual, and was even cracking jokes. “Well, I knew I could either get hit by a car and die; or I could jump, so I picked the best option,” she said to every nurse and doctor that walked in. Each person that entered was amazed at the peacefulness that Daelyn was feeling. Thank you, Lord, for your presence.
Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? ~ Psalm 139:7
When the CT was read, Michelle literally came BUSTING through the door and said, “I can’t explain it, but there are absolutely no fractures anywhere. I am in absolute shock. You are a very lucky girl.” All I could say was, “I pray for God’s protection over my children every single morning, so I believe He is the one who protected Daelyn today.” Michelle responded with, “I absolutely believe that is true.” Thank you, Lord, for your protection.
I knew my daughter was tough, but I didn’t realize just how tough. While her wounds were being cleaned in the ER with a soft brush and sponge just hours after injuring herself, she never flinched. She actually joked at one point and told me that the nurse was giving her a facial. The following days held dentist appointments, oral surgery where she had a tooth pulled, antibiotics, lots of pain, and consistent wound care. It would have been totally acceptable for her to have a pity party for herself. Think about it. You’re age 17, on vacation with your family, and while out having fun you break 3 teeth and scrape up your face and body. Appearances are important to 17-year-old girls. But, besides one quick breakdown after returning from the ER that night, she muscled through everything that came her way. Thank you, Lord, for your strength.
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. ~ Psalm 46:1
In the days and months that have followed, Daelyn’s faith has never wavered. She has held fast to the fact that God is good, even when trials arise. As we were reminiscing this morning, she told me that the minute she stood up after jumping off the scooter, she knew that God was with her because she felt His peace instead of panic. She also mentioned that she has learned to be confident in who God created her to be and to love herself even though she is missing a tooth (when she isn’t wearing her flipper) and has constant redness on her face (mainly after strenuous exercise such as dancing). When asked if she would want to go back and do things over again, she says she absolutely wouldn’t change a thing. She has told me that scars are a sign that you’ve lived and had fun. Thank you, Lord, for this healthy perspective.
Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. ~ Colossians 3:2
Today, Thanksgiving Day 2020, the 26th day of November, is my girl’s EIGHTEENTH birthday. I can’t even begin to explain to you how incredibly thankful I am that she is here with us to celebrate. Things could have turned out so differently. Her injuries could have been much worse. She could have sunk into a state of depression. Or she could have simply not been here with us this year. But, that’s not the case. Because of God’s protection, peace, comfort, and strength, Daelyn is healed and whole. Her teeth have been fixed, her wounds have healed, and she is left with just a few minor scars, which serve as reminders of just how good our God is. Thank you, Lord, for your healing power.
How about you? What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving? During years like this, you may find it difficult to see anything good around you. But, it’s there, I promise. Thank Him for family, friends, life, salvation, your warm house, running water. Take the time to look and reflect on all that God has blessed you with. And whatever you do, DON’T WAIT!
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