Anyone feel like offering me some feedback??? Pretty Please??? “Dad?” thirteen-year-old Daniel said, “For language arts I have to interview a family member and write a report. Who do you think I should interview?” “I’m not sure, Daniel. I guess I would pick a family member that you don’t know much about,” Josh said. “That’s just it, I know a lot about my family members, except for you. Dad, I wanted to write the report about you.” “Hum, that’s quite flattering, but you know all there is to know about me.” “Well, actually, I don’t know a lot about you. Like, why did you decide to become a pastor and … well … how did you end up … in a wheelchair?” Daniel’s voice trailed off. He had learned early in life that nobody talked about his dad’s disabilities, it was ignored, just a part of life and not dinner talk. Daniel was hoping that the question about his job choice would get a little closer to getting him some information. Josh looked at his son, raising one eyebrow he hesitated for a moment, and then quietly he said, “I guess it’s time I share the story.” He swallowed past the lump in his throat and wheeled himself into his bedroom with Daniel just behind him. Josh pulled himself from his wheelchair so that he was sitting on the floor of his bedroom closet, fumbling with the safe. Slowly, he opened the safe and rummaged through some things before he came up with a very old VHS video tape. Lugging himself back into his wheelchair he moved to the edge of his bed. “Here, Daniel, put this movie in, it will tell part of the story and I will tell you the rest.” The old VCR whirred to life as Daniel powered it up. He looked over the tape carefully, but the only indication of what was on the tape was the label, “New Orleans, 20 April 1989.” That told him as much as he already knew nothing! So he put the movie in and sat on his parent’s bed. He snuck a peek at his dad as he did and saw pain etched in the wrinkles of his father’s forehead. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked, he thought to himself. The movie began with two young men walking up to a lady standing in the middle of the street. Each of them handed her a pink piece of paper. “Is that you, Dad?” Daniel asked. “Yes, that’s me, on the right.” “Wow, you’re walking and you sure are handsome!” “Yes, Daniel, these are the last steps I will ever take.” Daniel turned his attention back to the television in time to see his dad and the other young man get into their cars. The camera moved around to the back of the cars, the engines were revving and people were shouting, it all looked very exciting. Then the cars began to burn out on the asphalt and suddenly they both burst forth, away from the camera. Smoke filled the television screen and then, as the smoke cleared there was a loud crash, Daniel felt his stomach drop. He saw the car his dad was driving leap into the air and crash down, people were running in all directions. Screams of encouragement seemed to become screams of horror. He watched as his Dad’s car became one with another vehicle, and the two twisted into a metal dance across the street and sidewalk. The movie was so graphic that Daniel suddenly realized he could smell the scent of oil, grease and gasoline and he tasted blood in his mouth. The movie ended there, well, kind of, the camera was running away, as were other spectators, running from what though? “Dad, why is everyone running away instead of trying to help?” “We were drag racing in the streets, that’s illegal; everyone wanted to get away before the police came.” “So that is how you ended up in a wheelchair?” “Yes, and that is also the reason I changed my college major from engineering to theology.” “But why give up all of that for God? Just because you can’t walk? Shouldn’t you be angry with God?” “No, Son, actually, quite the opposite. I was alone when I left the starting line of that race, but just before the accident someone sat in the passenger seat and told me to slow down before I kill someone, and then, about a block before the accident I hit my brakes. Sure, I wrecked my car, and I totaled that minivan, but no one died. An angel saved all of us that day.” “Did you get in trouble for the accident?” “Yes, I had to go to jail for a few months.” “Didn’t that make you angry, Dad?” “No, it gave me time to really think about what I did and how I could fix it.” “But you didn’t fix it, if you fixed it you would be able to walk!” “Oh yes, yes I did fix it, I learned about God and forgiveness and that I’m not the only person in the world, those are tough lessons when you’re young.” “How old were you?” “I was nineteen the day my life began. I was nineteen when I decided God is the only way to go.” “Dad, how come we never talk about this?” “It’s not that we can’t talk about it, it’s just that is the past and our future is with God. I was not with God during this time and I choose not to focus on what I didn’t have. Now, I have forgiveness and love from our God and He has been very good to us.” “This is going to be the best report in the whole class!” Josh hugged his son, “Of course it will be, you’re writing it.”
Posted on: Tue, 20 Aug 2013 00:51:50 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015