Accident? Or not?
I had one of those moments this afternoon. The kind that make you go, "Hmm?"
I went to Walmart with my kids to buy something for my son's birthday. I ended up parking next to a minivan that was pulled back a little farther into the lane than it should be, which I knew would make it a bit harder to see around when I backed up. I honestly thought, Maybe I should park one spot over so it's easier to see when I back out?
But I figured I'd be fine. I'd just be extra careful.
Yeah, you know where this is going!
Well, as I was backing out of the spot, I glanced in my rearview mirror and in my reverse-camera screen to make sure no one was right behind me. Then I checked to the right and carefully to the left to make sure no cars or pedestrians were coming.
"Hey kids, does anyone see a car or pers ..."
Crunch!
As I was easing out of the spot, with my eyes carefully on any pedestrians or cars that might be approaching, I felt and heard the crunch.
"Oh, crud!" (I don't know if that's what I really said. But it was close.)
I pulled back into the spot, parked the van, and got out to see what I hit.
Apparently, another car was backing out of the spot almost directly across the aisle from me at the same time I was, probably watching for pedestrians and oncoming cars like I was, when we met in the middle of the lane and hit bumpers.
No real harm done. His car looked like it had some of my paint on it and there was a tiny speck of his paint chipped off. My van had some of his paint on it, a couple specks where paint was chipped off, and a slight flat spot where his car must have rode up onto my bumper. But not much damage.
But it was the conversation that I found amusing.
First off, he started with how he has had so much stress lately and didn't need anymore. He said he was an EMT (or some sort of emergency responder). He said things have been rough for him lately.
He was clearly overwhelmed by life, and this accident seemed to be just the frosting on the cake. When he realized he had been talking about himself only, he asked me my name.
I said, "Heather" (no last name).
"Well, that's interesting because my name's Richard." (Interesting, huh? How so? They don't rhyme or anything. And it's not like "Richard and Heather" go together like "Romeo and Juliet" or "Danny and Sandy.")
He was clearly flustered and really didn't want us to call anyone about the "accident." (Makes me wonder if he was going faster than he should have and knew he was in the wrong and was afraid of being held responsible.)
"It doesn't look like there's much damage, just some paint chipped off. So I'm okay if we just want to ... not report it," he said.
I agreed that it would be pointless to call anyone or report it because we were both doing the same thing (backing up) and we both had roughly the same amount of damage (not much). Besides neither of us saw the other one. So without a third party to tell what they saw, neither of us could report what we saw the other one doing. It would be more trouble for them to file a report and for the insurance companies to figure out who was at fault and who should pay and what they should pay. Plus, that might lead to an increase in premiums.
"Yeah, I don't think we need to call. We were both just backing up and have the same amount of damage," I agreed.
And then he told me again how much stress he's had being an EMT. And he asked me what I do. "Homeschooling mom," I said.
And then he said something I wasn't expecting.
"Do you mind if I pray for us, for you, right now? I'd just like to say a prayer about this."
I had given him him no indication that I was a Christian (unless he assumed so because of the homeschooling). And I thought it was pretty bold of him to offer to pray out loud for us, especially in this day and age of people suing Christians for pushing their faith on others.
"Sure," I said. And I listened to him pray a wonderful prayer about our Heavenly Father blessing us and protecting us, about our Lord and Savior guiding us and watching over us.
I can't remember the exact words, I just knew that it was a bold, God-filled prayer, not some generalized "praying to the universe" kind of prayer.
[And for the life of me, I'm trying to remember if we actually ended up holding hands as he prayed ... heads bowed, eyes closed ... in the middle of a Walmart parking lot during a busy afternoon. I can't remember if we held hands. But if we did and I can't remember it, it's probably because it came so naturally to both of us. And I bet it was a sight to those around us - a spontaneous prayer session by two strangers in the middle of the parking lot.]
After he prayed, I told him that I was a strong believer, always have been. I wanted him to know that we shared the faith he was expressing in his prayer. That we are part of the same family.
He responded by saying that he's an EMT and that he had been in the air on 9/11 and that he had to deal with some "bad guys" up there.
I wasn't really sure what to make of that. I wondered if that's when things changed for him, like it's the time when his life got turned upside down or something. Like he's never been the same since that day. Or maybe he was trying to say that it's what led him to finding faith in God. Maybe that day was a huge part of his spiritual journey.
I don't know. But I do know that day meant a lot to him for some reason. And that life has clearly been rough for a while for him.
As he got in his car, he asked me where I go to church.
I told him where we went to church.
"Maybe I'll come visit it someday," he said.
Wouldn't that be a neat story to tell if he showed up one day? Wouldn't it be neat if he has been needing a home church ... and just so happened to find one by getting into a minor, parking-lot accident with a fellow believer?
That would be cool! (What won't be cool is having to show my husband the van when he gets home from work! It's the first expensive, "new" vehicle we've bought in a long, long time. Figures!)
And that would be so like God to arrange something like that!
I don't know what this man's needs are or where he is in his spiritual walk, but I do know that he seemed especially stressed and frazzled with life, to the point of nearly wanting to cry over this simple accident, desperately needing to not have it reported.
If you think of it, say a prayer for Richard. That God would send His heavenly angels to protect him and guide him, that He would meet him where he's at and bring him the hope, help, healing and truth he needs.
I did.
You just never know why some things happen. Sometimes accidents are not really accidents at all.
I went to Walmart with my kids to buy something for my son's birthday. I ended up parking next to a minivan that was pulled back a little farther into the lane than it should be, which I knew would make it a bit harder to see around when I backed up. I honestly thought, Maybe I should park one spot over so it's easier to see when I back out?
But I figured I'd be fine. I'd just be extra careful.
Yeah, you know where this is going!
Well, as I was backing out of the spot, I glanced in my rearview mirror and in my reverse-camera screen to make sure no one was right behind me. Then I checked to the right and carefully to the left to make sure no cars or pedestrians were coming.
"Hey kids, does anyone see a car or pers ..."
Crunch!
As I was easing out of the spot, with my eyes carefully on any pedestrians or cars that might be approaching, I felt and heard the crunch.
"Oh, crud!" (I don't know if that's what I really said. But it was close.)
I pulled back into the spot, parked the van, and got out to see what I hit.
Apparently, another car was backing out of the spot almost directly across the aisle from me at the same time I was, probably watching for pedestrians and oncoming cars like I was, when we met in the middle of the lane and hit bumpers.
No real harm done. His car looked like it had some of my paint on it and there was a tiny speck of his paint chipped off. My van had some of his paint on it, a couple specks where paint was chipped off, and a slight flat spot where his car must have rode up onto my bumper. But not much damage.
But it was the conversation that I found amusing.
First off, he started with how he has had so much stress lately and didn't need anymore. He said he was an EMT (or some sort of emergency responder). He said things have been rough for him lately.
He was clearly overwhelmed by life, and this accident seemed to be just the frosting on the cake. When he realized he had been talking about himself only, he asked me my name.
I said, "Heather" (no last name).
"Well, that's interesting because my name's Richard." (Interesting, huh? How so? They don't rhyme or anything. And it's not like "Richard and Heather" go together like "Romeo and Juliet" or "Danny and Sandy.")
He was clearly flustered and really didn't want us to call anyone about the "accident." (Makes me wonder if he was going faster than he should have and knew he was in the wrong and was afraid of being held responsible.)
"It doesn't look like there's much damage, just some paint chipped off. So I'm okay if we just want to ... not report it," he said.
I agreed that it would be pointless to call anyone or report it because we were both doing the same thing (backing up) and we both had roughly the same amount of damage (not much). Besides neither of us saw the other one. So without a third party to tell what they saw, neither of us could report what we saw the other one doing. It would be more trouble for them to file a report and for the insurance companies to figure out who was at fault and who should pay and what they should pay. Plus, that might lead to an increase in premiums.
"Yeah, I don't think we need to call. We were both just backing up and have the same amount of damage," I agreed.
And then he told me again how much stress he's had being an EMT. And he asked me what I do. "Homeschooling mom," I said.
And then he said something I wasn't expecting.
"Do you mind if I pray for us, for you, right now? I'd just like to say a prayer about this."
I had given him him no indication that I was a Christian (unless he assumed so because of the homeschooling). And I thought it was pretty bold of him to offer to pray out loud for us, especially in this day and age of people suing Christians for pushing their faith on others.
"Sure," I said. And I listened to him pray a wonderful prayer about our Heavenly Father blessing us and protecting us, about our Lord and Savior guiding us and watching over us.
I can't remember the exact words, I just knew that it was a bold, God-filled prayer, not some generalized "praying to the universe" kind of prayer.
[And for the life of me, I'm trying to remember if we actually ended up holding hands as he prayed ... heads bowed, eyes closed ... in the middle of a Walmart parking lot during a busy afternoon. I can't remember if we held hands. But if we did and I can't remember it, it's probably because it came so naturally to both of us. And I bet it was a sight to those around us - a spontaneous prayer session by two strangers in the middle of the parking lot.]
After he prayed, I told him that I was a strong believer, always have been. I wanted him to know that we shared the faith he was expressing in his prayer. That we are part of the same family.
He responded by saying that he's an EMT and that he had been in the air on 9/11 and that he had to deal with some "bad guys" up there.
I wasn't really sure what to make of that. I wondered if that's when things changed for him, like it's the time when his life got turned upside down or something. Like he's never been the same since that day. Or maybe he was trying to say that it's what led him to finding faith in God. Maybe that day was a huge part of his spiritual journey.
I don't know. But I do know that day meant a lot to him for some reason. And that life has clearly been rough for a while for him.
As he got in his car, he asked me where I go to church.
I told him where we went to church.
"Maybe I'll come visit it someday," he said.
Wouldn't that be a neat story to tell if he showed up one day? Wouldn't it be neat if he has been needing a home church ... and just so happened to find one by getting into a minor, parking-lot accident with a fellow believer?
That would be cool! (What won't be cool is having to show my husband the van when he gets home from work! It's the first expensive, "new" vehicle we've bought in a long, long time. Figures!)
And that would be so like God to arrange something like that!
I don't know what this man's needs are or where he is in his spiritual walk, but I do know that he seemed especially stressed and frazzled with life, to the point of nearly wanting to cry over this simple accident, desperately needing to not have it reported.
If you think of it, say a prayer for Richard. That God would send His heavenly angels to protect him and guide him, that He would meet him where he's at and bring him the hope, help, healing and truth he needs.
I did.
You just never know why some things happen. Sometimes accidents are not really accidents at all.
