Okay, stopped is a bit extreme, maybe I should have said paused for a while. On March 15, 1994, after I drove my younger brother and sister home from school and we got our after school snack, we started on our chores. My brother decided that he would rather practice his basketball. There was only a slight problem…my car was in the way. To avoid an argument, my sister offered to move the car. She was already 15 and would have her license in the fall, so I thought, why not? (My mom was at a long awaited hair appointment - in which she was going to get a perm…)My sister got into my car and proceeded to pull it into the garage as I stood in front to direct her into it. As she pulled the car into the garage, I guess she was a little nervous and at the very moment that I motioned for her to stop, she accidentally hit the gas pedal. The car hit the corner of the chest freezer and as I ran back and jumped up, the car hit me and pinned me up against the wall. I ended up with my legs tucked completely up against my bottom, my right hand up against the wall, and my left hand on the hood of my car holding me in place. My sister said that she does not remember moving the car, but as she backed the car I tried to stand and fell to the floor. My head was telling my legs to work, but my legs said natta! Now my brother, who was in boy scouts at the time, began treating me for shock as I, as strange as it sounds, stayed calm. (It was the Holy Spirit keeping me calm, I know it!) My sister freaked out! She called mom – thankfully they had not started the perming process on her hair! Boy what a mess that would have been!!
My mom rushed home and drove the car out of the garage to the other side of the street as I still lay there on the floor in front of it. After she moved the car, my mom came to my side and began spiritual warfare over my body. She prayed for some specific things that would have never crossed my mind as a 17 year old. I am thankful that she did. You never know when you pray what you may be helping to prevent or protect. PRAY…PRAY WITHOUT CEASING!!
I was concerned about my sister and told mom to go check on her. When she did, the ambulance came. They loaded me up and we all went to the hospital. The paramedics were amazed that I was hit the way I was...they said had I been standing straight up, I would not have legs. The bumper of my car exactly matched the cement block foundation of the house. (Whoa...)
At the time, my dad was either in Detroit or Canada, either way, he was far away and caught the next flight out of there. After a couple of hours in the ER, X-rays, and visits from our church family, I was sent home with a pair of crutches and some medication. The doctor kept scratching his head at the whole thing. No broken bones! I didn’t break one bone. I had a fracture on my pelvic plate, damage to my nerves on one shin, and a chip of bone that now ‘floats’ behind my knee-cap, even though, I still could not walk out of the hospital. In fact, I could not walk for two weeks. When they brought me home, my pastor and worship leader had made a sling out of a blanket in order to carry me into the house.
I lost most of any modesty that I had during those two weeks. I had to use the restroom when I first came home and had to have my sister and my mom help me get ready for it, get on it, and then…for the first time in my life, I passed out on it. Yep! Buh-bye modesty!! For the most part I am a pretty independent person, but I had to let go of all of that and the Lord showed me how to receive service. It may be easy for some of you, and now as mothers, we wish we could be in that place of receiving service all the time, but for me it is HARD!! My grandma came and stayed with us during that time. They had to wash my hair as I hung off the side of the couch! I had to give someone a 20 minute heads up if I needed to use the restroom because that is how long it took us to get me there. I would practice every day to get up on my crutches, only to fall in agony, pain and humiliation.
I remember the day that I did it. I ‘swung’ myself to the dining room table. I still couldn’t walk very well, but I could swing on my crutches!! Graduation was quickly approaching and I had doubts about it. I didn’t want to be swingin’ on my crutches down the aisle to receive my diploma and yet, I also knew that I had a lot of recovery ahead of me. I am happy to say that I did walk – on my own – in heels – to receive my diploma. My God is able to heal, restore and revive!
I graduated Salutitorian of my Senior Class of ’94. I received a two year Presidential Scholarship to the local Community College in Olney, IL. I only used one year of it before I wanted to spread my wings and fly to World Harvest Bible College in Columbus, OH. We got everything ready, dad and I visited the college and I was on my way in August of 1996 to pursue a degree in Praise/Worship. I had to get a job to pay for my expenses and dorm rent, so I got one in sales at the local Sears Outlet selling appliances and furniture. It was here that I met my first husband, Patrick.
I lost most of any modesty that I had during those two weeks. I had to use the restroom when I first came home and had to have my sister and my mom help me get ready for it, get on it, and then…for the first time in my life, I passed out on it. Yep! Buh-bye modesty!! For the most part I am a pretty independent person, but I had to let go of all of that and the Lord showed me how to receive service. It may be easy for some of you, and now as mothers, we wish we could be in that place of receiving service all the time, but for me it is HARD!! My grandma came and stayed with us during that time. They had to wash my hair as I hung off the side of the couch! I had to give someone a 20 minute heads up if I needed to use the restroom because that is how long it took us to get me there. I would practice every day to get up on my crutches, only to fall in agony, pain and humiliation.
I remember the day that I did it. I ‘swung’ myself to the dining room table. I still couldn’t walk very well, but I could swing on my crutches!! Graduation was quickly approaching and I had doubts about it. I didn’t want to be swingin’ on my crutches down the aisle to receive my diploma and yet, I also knew that I had a lot of recovery ahead of me. I am happy to say that I did walk – on my own – in heels – to receive my diploma. My God is able to heal, restore and revive!
I graduated Salutitorian of my Senior Class of ’94. I received a two year Presidential Scholarship to the local Community College in Olney, IL. I only used one year of it before I wanted to spread my wings and fly to World Harvest Bible College in Columbus, OH. We got everything ready, dad and I visited the college and I was on my way in August of 1996 to pursue a degree in Praise/Worship. I had to get a job to pay for my expenses and dorm rent, so I got one in sales at the local Sears Outlet selling appliances and furniture. It was here that I met my first husband, Patrick.
~Still more to come...Janice~
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