Sunday, May 30, 2010

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!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank-you. You are right, that is how we feel. When I talk about trying to forgive him very few people seem to understand. They just don't get the fact that when I'm having a hard time dealing with the forgiveness I also have a hard time dealing with my life as a whole. I can't be a good parent or wife because I am so fill with hurt and anger. I have to forgive him so I can go on with my life. I have to forgive him so that Aaron and our family can get the healing they need. I don't think this man ever set out to kill someone or hurt a child. I think he would like a "do over" if he could. There have been many bad things that I have done and wish I hadn't, but I still need forgiveness just like this man. He is a person just like everyone else. The fact that he might die behind bars seems almost unfair at times to me. Where is his 2nd chance? How is him sitting behind bars going to help fix what happened? Why should my tax dollars pay for it along with all the bills that are going to start comming my way because of this? He would be more of a help to me and my family by going to work everyday, helping pay the bills that he made for us, doing yard work that Brian isn't here to do because he has been sitting bedside to Aaron, and so on. There needs to be a better way then just sitting in jail. If he doesn't die in there will he come out a better person? No, he would become a better person if he owned what he did and helped fix some of this. He would become a better person if we showed him Gods love. How can we really ask God to love us if we can love his other children also? It's easy to love people who love you back, but to love the ones who don't love you back is more like living like Jesus then making someone rot in jail. There are times when I think I have forgivin him and there are times that I know I have a long way to go. It is hard, but God is good and I'm sure God will heal me to so that I am able to forgive him 100%. Thanks for posting this Robert.

gary S. Chapman said...

A lot to think about...thnx for sharing.