Two Lives, Forever Changed

Suddenly, everything changed for Aaron.

In an instant, because of a bad choice that someone else had made, his life was forever altered, and he and his mom were left struggling to live.

They had become victims of a senseless act of road rage, by a man who was having a bad day. He had twice rammed his pickup truck into the side of another pickup truck, in revenge for having been cut off. The other driver lost control, crossed the median, and ran head on into the car Aaron’s mom was driving.

Rescue workers that arrived on the horrific scene at first thought his mom had not survived, but later realized that she was barely clinging to life. They struggled to free them from the wreckage--wreckage so severe that they couldn’t tell whether or not there was anyone else in the back seat of the crumpled vehicle.

Fortunately, there was not. Aaron’s 17 month old half sister was not with them.

Ten year old Aaron never saw his mom again. She lived only nine more days, in a coma.

In an instant, with no time to react, helpless to keep it from happening, everything had changed for Aaron.



On that very same day, May 11th, another life was suddenly changed forever.

Richard’s life was changed, not by the uncontrollable actions of another, but rather by his own actions, his own decisions. You see, Richard is the man that caused the accident.

He now faces up to 50 years in prison for three felony charges which include vehicular homicide, leaving the scene of an accident involving a death and reckless driving involving serious bodily injury.

Perhaps even more significantly, he faces a lifetime of knowing that his actions, his lack of self-control, left a woman dead, a boy fighting for life, a husband alone and a baby motherless. How would you feel knowing that?

I can’t help but wonder what he is thinking now. Is he only just absorbed in his own troubles, afraid of the things that will happen to him next?

Or does he feel remorse? Does he find it hard to live with himself, as I would if I were in his place? Is he reaching out to God for forgiveness and mercy? Does he pray for Aaron’s recovery?

There are so many Christians praying for Aaron to heal and to live. Each day their prayers are heard and answered as Aaron continues to surprise doctors who never thought he would . . . or never thought he could . . . do this or that.

And while they pray for Aaron they also struggle with their feelings of anger, disgust and hurt for what this man has done. They struggle because what has happened has shaken them down to the core of what they believe.

They struggle because in part they want justice, judgment, and maybe even revenge against the man that caused this awful tragedy.

Yet deep down, they know that the same God that loves Aaron, also loves Richard, every bit as much. They know that they, themselves, are in need of a savior, no less than Richard is in need of that same savior. They know that in order to be forgiven, they must forgive and they know that unforgiveness in their own hearts, will hinder their prayers.

It is so much easier to pray for the innocent victim.

But doesn’t God want us to pray for the guilty ones, too, so that they might find the same mercy . . . and grace . . . and salvation, that has so freely been given to us?

So my invitation to you is that you join me as I pray for Aaron, but also as I pray for all those like Richard, who need a touch from God just as much.




Heavenly Father, gracious God,

We come before You now with grateful hearts, for You are good and your mercy is forever.

We are thankful for Your great love and compassion for all of us. We are thankful that it is Your heart that none of us should perish.

We ask that You would lead us in Your ways, because all Your paths are truth.

We thank You for opening our hearts to receive Your love, because we know that as we do so, we are able to let Your love flow through us to others who need to know that same love.

By Your Spirit, Lord--that same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead--even right now, fill the room where Aaron is with Your presence, and bring Your healing power upon him as You continue to do in him what no man can do. Complete in him the work that You have begun so that he might be whole again, to the honor and praise of God. Cause comfort and strength to flow into his body, in the name of Jesus.

Father, we know there is not one of us without sin, so as we freely receive your forgiveness, help us to freely give our forgiveness to others.

We lift up to You now, those who need to know Your mercy and grace--people like Richard. Envelop them in Your love so they might sense Your presence with them and Your great love for them. Pour out Your mercy and grace upon them.

Draw them to Your side just as you continue to draw us. May they know the peace that passes understanding that can only come from knowing the Prince of Peace. And Lord, make us instruments of that peace.

And to You, God, we give all of our thanksgiving, all of our praise and all of our worship, for You alone are worthy!

We pray these things in the name of Jesus. AMEN!

Keeping It All About Him

One of the young ladies that I work with recently lost her dad to cancer, after a two year battle against the disease. After his passing, her family gathered together things that he had written as he worked through the challenges to his health, his family, his faith and his relationship with God, and made copies that they bound under the title, “Ramblings: One man’s thoughts on cancer, healing and the goodness of God,” by Mark Mayer.

I was privileged to be offered a copy which I have been reading over the past few days. His writings offer an interesting insight into his doubts and fears as well as the journey of his relationship with his Heavenly Father. What he wrote was refreshingly transparent, as he struggled with his own failures and frustrations as a pastor.

I have not read all of it yet, but I wanted to share one thing that he wrote about that made a big impression on me.

One of the things Mark did was to set about seeking divine healing. To that end he attended a healing conference in Miami.

While there he was touched by the “intense and uplifting worship” that he experienced. He wrote that while he was there he felt God impress a truth upon him in the form of a question. He stated that it was as if God was talking inside of his head asking, “Mark, you want the gift of healing, but do you want the giver of healing?” He further explained that he felt that God was telling him that he needed to seek His face more than he sought after his healing.

So it got me thinking about all the times we mortals make it all about us--what God should do for us--instead of making it all about Him. Far too often we approach God in our need, rather than as an expression of our love.

I am reminded about how the truest worship is all about Him, and how the best we can offer God in return for all that He has already done for us, is to love Him and give Him our praise and our worship.

But that’s exactly what He wants most from us--for us to come into His presence through our love, praise and worship of Him, just to be there, not to ask for anything.

In seeking Him with all our hearts, we will find that which we really need the very most.


“You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11 (NKJ)