A Father of Protection

I've never been so frightened. Last Friday Nicole called me after her doctor's appointment to relay Riley's status and what the doctor said. While on the phone, though, she was rear-ended by another driver. At first she just told me, very plainly, that she was just hit, but then she started to cry and couldn't get any words out. She finally told me where she was and, as you can imagine, I ran out of the office, flying into my car and screeching out of the parking lot. I couldn't get through to Nicole again on her cell and my mind automatically went to the worst. What if she's unconscious? If she's hurt badly? How's the baby?

I started to weep as I sped to the accident. I began crying out to the Lord, "Father God, please just protect Nicole and Riley right now. Watch over them. Heal them. Comfort them. Take care of them..." And so on. I can't quite explain the sheer enormity of terror that goes through your heart and mind in such a moment. It was beyond any fear I had ever felt. It surged through my veins. But I knew there was only one thing I could do: pray. And so I continued.

By the time I arrived at the accident, I had spoken with Nicole again and she informed me that it wasn't that bad of a wreck. Her adrenaline just spiked and she got scared for Riley after being hit. Understandably so. She wanted to leave because there was little damage done to the car and she had received the other driver's insurance information. But I called 911 and, before we knew it, there was a fire engine, an EMT, and a police car at the scene. Nicole felt like it was overkill, but as everyone told her that day, we were better to be safe than sorry. Nicole was later monitored for six hours at the hospital, and I'm blessed to report, thanks be to the Lord, she and Riley are absolutely fine. We even got an extra sonogram out of the thing which revealed a much more developed face and body, complete with many (less alien-looking) more baby-looking features.

While I wouldn't call our Friday "fun" by any means, at the end of it all, this situation helped me understand the enormity of emotion that accompanies being a husband and father. I understood it to some degree, but only in moments like these do you truly begin to comprehend the heart God gives you for your family. Unfortunately, and much to my frustration, there's only so much you can do in situations like this. I know the same will be true for other situations that may even be more dangerous and more scary. But I'm glad to be reminded, once again, that a much better Father is taking care of "my girls," and whatever other little (or even unborn) family members God may bless me with in the future. That's something, or more correctly, Someone, I can always count on.