A 7-month old incident

Seven months ago, i had an incident that I think i will remember for long. Nope, it is not haunting at all; it did not leave a dark shadow. But God did shake my heart through it.

My colleague and i were on our way back to office in his car. We stopped at a red light at a big junction, and all was normal till i heard my colleague shout out loud, and i turned my head... and saw a person fly into the air diagonally across us.

In the next split second, my colleague was already out of the car. As he ran across the road towards the accident scene, he shouted to me, 'Call the ambulance!!'

i heard it, but in my half-dazed mind. My fingers shook as they dialled 995. My voice shook as i reported the scene. Then it began to pour - heavily.

My colleague ran back, grabbed two umbrellas, passed one to me, and we walked briskly over again - to the driver who was distraught at what he had done, to the weak struggling body lying several metres away from the car.

A few passersby were standing around the victim; one of them motioned me to bring the umbrella to him. I don't exactly remember what happened in the next few minutes but i found myself alone with the victim (whom now i saw was an old uncle), doing all my best to shelter his injured and scarred body from the beating rain. (My colleague on the hand was trying to calm the driver, who was also an old man, down, and shelter him from the rain as well)

I didn't know what to think... i was scared. The rain drenched my back as i squatted beside the uncle whom by now, had blood flowing out of a bad cut on his head, and immediately merging with the rainwater on the floor. The blood looked like it could not wait to take its leave; it just flowed on and on rapidly.

Uncle was breathing very hard; his slumped body lifted labouriously with every breath he painstakingly and painfully took.

My mind cried, 'Jesus, Jesus, tell me what i should do now'. My heart asked myself who i would need most if i were in such a situation myself.... and i knew my reply was 'Jesus'.

I began to cry to the old uncle, "Uncle, you must hang on. Please hang on. The ambulance will be here soon....really, i called them.... Uncle, Jesus is here. He is here with you... Don't be afraid ok..."

This monologue went on for the next fifteen minutes. Cycle after cycle i cried out to the uncle. I did not know if he heard me; but i knew Jesus was with us at that point. I knew in confidence.

The ambulance finally arrived. They took him unto the ambulance, leaving his walking stick lying by itself a distance away. My colleague and i stood in the rain. The next day i got news that he did not make it.

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For the next few days, i cried as i thought about the uncle. As i shared with my pastor and g12 sisters, i cried, and they teared together with me. However I was not traumatised; i think God had been cushioning me from the impact of this incident, probably by not letting the uncle die before my eyes and by having his face turned downwards all along that i was alone with him. He kept my heart really strong through the entire ordeal, and also through what He spoke to me about after the incident.

God told me He really cares about every single person; we are all His creation... no matter how far or how near we are to Him.

He assured my heart that He was with the uncle. (And with this, i claimed that uncle, if he had not known Jesus before the accident, received and reached out to receive Jesus' hand at those final moments)

He called me not to take my loved ones for granted, because life is really fragile.

He gently reminded me that our lives on earth are like a breath; uncle's body was flung like any parcel thrown into the air, and then 'Paaadddd!', dropped and smacked unto the ground. Only when our lives are in Christ, then they matter for eternity, no matter what happens to us.


* * *

Thank you Lord for being with me and tutoring my heart.