Looking back, it’s hard to remember the second in time that changed my life forever.  I was a normal person, doing a normal thing.  Nothing out of the ordinary.  How could it do so much damage?  How could it steal my cliche’ normalcy away so fast?  It didn’t even give me time to think.  And why me?  What had I done wrong in this life?  These questions raced around in my head every moment of everyday after the accident.  Now I see I had been given my second chance.  And in my sight, everyone in this life gets second chances.  That’s what Jesus died for, and that’s what God sacrificed so many, many years ago.

The accident, that’s what we called it.  Instead, it felt like it was more of a ruining.  It took over my life, took control and took hold with it’s sharp fangs like hooks in my heart.  I couldn’t escape it for so long.  After all, I was the one to blame.  It’s grip on me was undisturbed for so many months.  I couldn’t find the answer.  I didn’t know what to do about it, or who to go to, or what could help me heal.  But there was one person who could help, that I had seemed to ignore over time.  All of my life I have been a Christian.  I was brought up in church as a little girl, and I knew Jesus Christ as my savior.  After all, no matter the crime you do, or the extent of the wrong, He can give second chances.  Over and over again.  There is no end to His forgiveness.  And only to Him, am I most grateful for my second chance.  But we’ll come back to that.

It was a foggy morning in early September.  I had just turned 16 and I was excited about this new thing I was getting to experience.  A car, with wheels at that!  Something I could drive and call my own.  And it was truly mine.  No payments, no worries, I was free! So that morning before school I rushed around, a big blur of makeup and hairspray all within twenty minutes.  What a record!  I had to be done in time to pick up my best friend and get breakfast.  After all, this was a day to celebrate, and it couldn’t be a celebration without her.  There’s no way I would let her miss out.  As I rounded the corner I saw her waiting for me.  The excitement ate at me like a starving man left out at sea.  This was the coolest thing ever.  But being careless isn’t cool.  As I pulled up she opened the car door and jumped in, just as excited as I was.  We jammed up the stereo and set out on our way.  What happened next wasn’t intentional.  I didn’t mean to, it wasn’t my fault, it was just a reaction right?  Too bad I hadn’t been as prepared as I had thought.

Within a turn of the road and a second more, I found myself in the worst situation of my life.  What was going on?  Where is she?  Where’s my best friend?  Why isn’t she answering?  Can she hear me?  Oh my God, is she dead?  Why can’t I move?  And then, my arm.  My hand.  No, better yet, my wrist!  It was trapped underneath the steering wheel, and I couldn’t move a single centimeter.  I was truly caught inside of this seemingly harmless thing that had been turned into a death trap, trying it’s best to claim my life.  Help, help, help me, please someone help me!  I couldn’t think straight.  Everything was blurry, and it felt as if I were all alone.  Where was everyone?  And then it started to come back to me.  We were singing a song, as loud as we could at the top of our lungs.  What an adventure!  But it had gone so wrong.  My best friend took off her seatbelt to put her books in my backseat.  As she turned around to face the front she could see that I wasn’t paying attention to that dangerous road.  It was cold in the car, too cold, and all I had wanted to do was turn down the AC.  But it was too late, her scream scared me.  Overcorrecting was what they called it.  I wish somehow I had known that then.  I pulled the wheel too far, there was no need to yank it the way that I did.  But I did.  And the damage had been done.

They told me we went sliding out of control, over a culvert, and into someone’s yard where the grass was wet, so we just kept sliding.  The only thing there to stop us was a tree.  An oak tree, that wedged itself between the fine line of life and death.  That line was located in the back of my seat which trapped me inside of the car, and pushed me into the dashboard, sending my life in a downward spiral.  Had there been an inch or two missing in between, my second chance would have never come.

I was not the only one to receive a second chance.  My best friend was also spared her life and given a new start.  Although we both sustained injuries, (her more than I), we still had our lives clutched within the palms of our grateful hands.  God took that downward spiral, and turned it into a blessing and a new shot at life.  And to Him, we are both very thankful.  With the chances we were given came change, and I am able to say that today not only am I careful and observant of the road, but I am in life as well.  I am careful not to let moments pass me by, and observant of the little things which can mean the most.  In my experience, I have come to believe with all of my heart that God can give as many chances as you need, no matter what you do.  It may not seem that way in this world, but God is higher than the world and it’s possessions.  And today, I live knowing that I can make mistakes and still be forgiven, and that if I ever need a chance or two, God may be graceful enough to give me one.