Safe and Sound with a strong dose of eternal perspective

Last week (October 19th) we arrived home from a quick trip to the store to find a chaotic scene in our driveway. A seventeen-year-old had been driving too fast and hydroplaned around the corner. In his panic he hit both the gas and brake and drove in through a neighbor's yard, sideswiping their tree and ripping up their flowers. He then continued into our immediate neighbor's driveway, hitting a trailer into a side fence and the side of their home, he ripped up a large piece of cement as he went through their front fence and took out their lamp post and finally exited through the other side of their fence onto our driveway. In doing so, he separated what connects the steering wheel to the front tires of his vehicle. It was a bit of a shock to see. The police arrived on the scene shortly thereafter.

It was horrifying to see the destruction caused by a few moments of teenage stupidity, but more horrifying to imagine what might have been. Over the past month or so Daniel and Liam have loved drawing roads in chalk, all over the driveway (including the spot occupied by the broken car), for their toy cars. Generally, I don't let them in the front yard when the nearby high school gets out, but on the 19th they had an early-out-day. I wouldn't have anticipated the the high school traffic. If we had been home it is very likely someone would have been seriously injured or worse. I feel so blessed. In my prayers this week I thank the Lord for his protection of those who matter most to me. I feel like there are angels all around. I love my boys so much. I feel the love of my Father in Heaven as I see his hand in my life and as I experience things as a parent. Some moments in mortality are a strong dose of eternal perspective.