The Butterfly Effect. Such a strange concept...and I'm not talking about the sci-fi time travel definition. I'm talking about the idea that a single, minor choice, experience, or occurrence can alter the outcome of a situation. In a blink of an eye. In a flap of a butterfly's wing. The idea feels a bit like chaos to me. It's scary to think about life like this. It's scary to entertain the idea that I have no control. It's scary because I have kids now.
Years ago, pre-marriage and kids, I would have scoffed at this idea, or maybe accepted it as a challenge. It might have even seemed thrilling to me. But today, as I drove my three precious, amazing, and innocent children home from a family gathering over 500 miles away, I passed what was certainly a fatal car accident. It was so scary. It had just happened. It could have been us! BLINK. FLAP. I had decided to stop to eat. I almost went through the drive thru...we were all SO ready to get home. Instead, I stopped. I returned discarded socks to their proper feet, and united left shoes with left feet and right shoes with right feet. After I restocked my bag with items for quite possibly any case scenario, I scooped up Wills, and directed Parker and Jay to exit the vehicle and hold hands. Looking back, we probably looked like a pre-school chain gang walking through the parking lot. Parking lots can be dangerous... Inside, I let them dawdle. We ate. We went to the bathroom. We got extra napkins. We got refills. We went back to the bathroom. "It's been a long drive", I thought to myself.
Back on the road, I'm not sure I even had time to set the cruise control before the cars in front and around me were slamming on breaks and the flashing lights were suddenly everywhere. I saw several vacant cars that had minor damage. Then I saw tons of debris. Then I saw the stretchers...and then I saw the car. It looked like a crumpled up piece of paper. I gasped to catch my breath and then immediately began to pray for the people involved and for the men and women that were responding to the accident. I prayed for their families. I prayed for my family. As I continued on, I saw more Emergency Vehicles racing to the scene. In a BLINK of an eye. In a FLAP of a butterfly's wing. Lives were changed forever.
I remember thinking, "All I want is to be Home."
Is there any way to make sense of this? I am a religious person. I believe in God. I believe that "things happen for a reason". But I also believe that some things happen for no good reason...they just do! Do I think God made it happen...NO. But I do believe He is here for us...Rain or shine. Good or Bad. He is in our presence just waiting for us to call on Him. Maybe it's just human nature that we only reach out when we are in need. I guess that makes us fair weather followers... But for today, and hopefully going forward, I will be remember to embrace the present because life can change in a BLINK.
And while today we made it home safe and sound...Are we there yet? I hope not!
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