What About Accidents?
Have you ever had an accident and wondered why God didn’t prevent it?
Matthew 28:20b states in the Passion Translation: …”Never forget that I AM with you every day, even to the completion of this age.”
A few years ago we decided to go on a bike ride to test out my new bike which we had just paid for. I rode with the wind and loved it! But a dump truck coming towards me flung out a rock the size of a very large sweet potato. It hit my front wheel and broke it, and I went flying onto the road. My husband was behind me, doing some maneuvering to not crash into me, all the while wondering why I was writhing on the ground.
The truck driver was completely oblivious, and drove out of sight.
Oh the pain! My left knee hit the tarmac first, then my hands. Today I still have problems with that knee. I wondered so many times why God hadn’t prevented this. After all, if I’d been just a few minutes slower, this wouldn’t have happened.
My conclusion? We live in a fallen world, and accidents happen. I believe the important outcome here is how we deal with issues like this.
Is it going to bring bitterness toward God?
Or will we allow a spirit of complaint to colour our world?
Will our faith survive?
As I considered all this, I was reminded of one thing: Just a few minutes before the accident happened, I realized my helmet had slipped and I pushed it forward across my forehead. When the crash happened, my helmet broke. If I hadn’t listened to the prompt to correct it, my head would have been like a broken watermelon with my brains all over the road.
So I thanked God for His protection. I did wish for a long time that His protection had been more effective and maybe slowed me down, but one day I realized He was watching for my reaction. Was it a test? Maybe. But accidents happen.
As Christians we will all go through heart-wrenching times. But the key here is that Jesus is with us in the process, helping us to keep our eyes on Him and not waver.
In Bible times Christians had horrible things done to them. They were sawn in two, they were torn to pieces, and more. Was Jesus also with them in all that? Yes He was. And His grace was there for them in it, giving them the strength to keep their eyes on Him through it all.
In the days when I was suffering with Lupus, I knew in my heart that I could live with anything the disease gave me…if I knew Jesus was with me in it. He gave me the strength and courage I needed to keep going. Did I respond like this every time? No! But Jesus knew that if I persisted in seeking Him, I would be able to handle it better. So He kept me through it all.
Have you gone through difficult times and wondered where Jesus was at that time?
Are you still struggling with the aftermath of an accident where you were injured?
Would you care to leave a comment, or tell me your story?