Monday, October 22, 2007

All in a Day


This morning I awoke to what I thought would be a normal day (as far as normal can be anyway.) It felt good! A beautiful morning and a good time alone with the Lord at the beginning of my day. I listened to gospel music on my way to work this morning and actually turned my hour drive to Murfreesboro into a worship service. The morning went well and pretty much on the routine that I had planned to some degree, but after lunch my world changed.

As I was having a meeting with several of my associates at work I was paged to answer an urgent call. I asked the group to excuse me for just a moment as I'll be right back after I take this call. The call was nothing that I would have ever expected. I was informed by the caller than one of my asst mgrs was killed in a car crash earlier this morning and that they have just identified who he was and after notifying his family they called me so I could let the associates know about this tragic accident and what had happened. I could not believe what I was hearing. This asst mgr was respected and loved by many of our associates. Sharing this news was going to be difficult. I was grieving myself and couldn't hardly grasp what had just happened either. I was shocked as I knew everyone else would be. This was extremely sad news.

I asked the Lord to help me with delivering this message that I had to share with my associates and I went back in the room to tell those that I had left in there the news. As I shared what had happened we all we're very heartbroken, deeply saddened, and shocked. I knew that the rest of the day would be one of meetings and counseling and comforting others as we all worked together to get through this initial shock and the grieving process. It was a tough afternoon for everyone, people within the Company to contact and brief, schedules to adjust, and all while trying to maintain and focus on the business at hand. What a challenge, but the Lord was with me and He gave me strength when I needed it.

I finally headed home and called my wife and shared with her what had happened as I drove home. The hour drive was spent mourning and thinking about what the associates were going through. Almost home, I saw a vehicle that had run off the road and apparently just crashed into the field to my left as I drove past. It was almost dark and difficult to see, but as I drove by I saw people just outside of a vehicle that had rolled over and rested on it's side just off the road. People from a nearby house off the highway were running as fast as they could to the overturned vehicle. As quickly as I saw this I slowed down and noticed other cars beginning to stop to run to the aid of this car accident. I assumed there were enough people to help and kept driving. I called 911 on my cell phone and reported the accident and it's location and they informed me they were on their way with an ambulance, that someone else had just called. I quickly said a prayer and this of course reminded me again of the loss of our asst mgr this morning.

Just a few minutes from Home I get a call from my wife and she tells me she is driving quickly to a friend of hers house and for personal reasons I won't go into the details, but this whole thing has my wife upset as she's on her way to see if she can be of any help. I finally arrive home and await for her to come back. Finally she gets back home and she fills me in on the details and I see the pain of what she is going through. More grieving, more sadness and more pain.

As things finally settle down it's now the end of the day. I'm exhausted, we both are. Why did all this happen? I don't know. But this I do know... the Lord got me through this day. I could not have handled it on my own. My prayer is this... Tomorrow Lord, I know already my day is full with the issues I have been presented with today. Please Lord, give me strength and the ability to handle whatever comes my way. I hold fast to the promise you have given me in your word. Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Thank you Lord for your comfort and your love during this next challenge and test in my life. Guide me and direct me O Lord. It's in the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

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