I was out Christmas shopping when I got a text message. I decided to pull my car over and check who was texting me. It turned out to be important. A Christian friend was distraught after learning a young relative was in a serious car accident that day and was now in surgery. He asked for prayer. So, I parked my car and I immediately started praying.This young woman Paige* was in a nurses training program and did not know when she was leaving the program that day that something terrible would befall her as she drove home.
Paige is the industrious type, and besides studying for her nursing license she works part-time in her families painting business. I had occasion to meet Paige last winter when she was helping her step-grandfather paint my dining room. I was totally floored by her work ethic, excellent customer service, manners and Christian witness. The room I was updating was a lovely old room which had picture frame molding throughout. There was some 1980’s era wallpaper that did not want to come off the walls and a big picture window. I wanted to take that old wallpaper off the walls even though many people I knew loved it and advised me to keep it because it had vintage appeal. I love vintage but, I had a different vision for this room and had called in my contractor to effect the change-over. The wallpaper had an all-over floral bouquet pattern which conflicted with all of my table cloths and my husband thought it too busy for the room.
Paige, along with her sister and brother were called into the project to do various tasks such as taping the borders, windows, and the picture frame molding. Gen Z stars with a work ethic, great skills and proper manners, imagine that! Plus, Paige was so attractive in societal terms that she could have easily procured a modeling contract if she so desired but, you would not know that from her down-to-earth attitude. She clearly did not think herself better than anyone else. Paige came from a very committed Christian family and she had clearly chosen that path too as she honored Jesus and spoke of her relationship with him. She did a stellar job in my home in my estimation too.
My friend Dean* filled me in on some horrific details of Paige’s accident. Someone apparently blew through a stop sign hitting one car sending it smashing into Paige’s driver side door. In this age of video recording I was horrified that someone sent me a picture of her totaled car. It was smashed to smithereens but, what happened to Paige? She was taken by ambulance to a local hospital as was the person in the other car, yet the driver who initiated the chain-reaction accident got off without an injury.
Dean told me that Paige was in surgery with what was expected to be a three hour surgery. She was hurting real bad too due to the extent of her injuries She was conscious as she was wheeled into surgery and even with all that physical toll she managed to say to her mother that,” God has me in the palm of his hand.” What kind of young adult is this? She made me see with clarity what faith really is. I found myself falling short as well as inspired. “I believe; help my unbelief”-Mark 9:24 came to my mind at that moment.
Paige got through that three hour surgery. She lost her spleen, had a concussion and internal bleeding. She had lost a great deal of blood and was in a coma for a while. I still have not learned all the details and why she had to have a second major surgery quite shortly after the first. All I know is that when she woke up from her second surgery and it’s’ after-effects her great-grandfather, a devout atheist was there and he said that “God had answered his prayers.” She replied, “Great-grand I thought you did not believe in God?” To which he said, “now I do.” Paige cried hysterically with happiness and told her great-grandfather that then this was all worth it. Can you imagine that? I know that she means it too. She has that kind of love and faith that could allow her to understand and believe that if she had to almost die in a terrible car accident so that her great-grandfather could come to faith than it was all worth it.
Paige is now slowly recuperating at home during the Christmas season. I was so moved by the story that I cross-stitched a Christmas ornament and sent it to her. I got a beautiful thank you call from her grandparents about it and an update on her progress. My how gracious this family is. It kinda gave me some Pre-Christmas inspiration.
* the names are changed to protect privacy
