Have you ever been in a wreck? I have had four significant wrecks in my life. The second one was when I was twelve years old. My sister had just gotten her license; it was New Year’s Day. She was going to take me to Bear Valley to go skiing. It was 1978, and no one ever wore seatbelts. That morning at 6:30 am, my mom stumbled out of bed and made us promise to wear our seatbelts, and we agreed.
About 30 minutes later, we had just driven past Camp Connell on the long uphill straightaway and hit “black ice.” I remember the car spinning and impacting the granite rocks that line that side of Highway 4. I can still close my eyes and see the whole event unfold in slow motion.
Fast Forward 5 years, and I was driving my father’s 300ZX in Stockton, CA. It was a two-seat car, and I had four people in it. I was the driver, and in the passenger seat was a buddy with his girlfriend in his lap. My good friend Kirk was lying down in the rear hatch area. I was on Robinhood Dr, waiting for oncoming traffic to clear so I could turn left onto Pacific Ave. The green light went to yellow, and as I began to make the left turn, an oncoming car decided to speed up and come across late, and we hit head-on.
The interesting thing about these accidents is that no one was ever hurt. Sure, many were sore from the impact since no one wore a seat belt, but we all walked away. Neither of the cars was as lucky because both cars were totaled. Yet, both of these collections had a lasting effect on me. For many years, making a left-hand turn with traffic going both directions scared me that oncoming traffic would not stop when the yellow light came up.
The first crash in my life happened, and the long-term effects of this crash lasted for 30+ years. That crash was never heard or even felt in the moment. The worst wreck of my life occurred at 8 years old when I stumbled upon pornography. This crash was like being rear-ended; I never saw it coming. That collision flashed back in my mind thousands of times, just like the car wreck I had. That wreck almost permanently disabled me.
The last wreck I was involved with was the day my life crashed into Jesus, and this was another head-on collision. But this wreck had no ill effects on my life. No, the impact with Jesus not only saved me from eternal damnation but also saved my family from the pain of divorce because that was where my life was heading.
That day, after crashing into Jesus, I started the debridement process of all the self-inflicted wounds I gave myself following the world. The thing about debridement is how painful it is to scrub the wound repeatedly. Even though the process can be painful, Jesus was with me every step of the process, and it was never more than I could handle.
I often wonder if Adam and Eve replayed the moment in the garden when the serpent caused them to doubt God’s word and enticed their flesh, eyes, and pride. Did they have slow-motion flashbacks like many who have had a car crash or had their lives crash around them? They lost so much that day in the garden that they could no longer walk in the cool mornings with God. As an eight-year-old, I had no idea what the cost would be that day, as I am sure neither Adam nor Eve did.
Thankfully for me, the Lord promised us in Joel 2 that He would “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,” I can tell you that the Lord has given Carah and me the most fantastic love that neither of us could ever imagine. Far more than the locust of sin ever took. If you want to know more about finding restoration in the power of Jesus Christ, ask me. See you Sunday at 9:30.
In Him,
Pastor Chris