Thankfully I was going less than 5 miles per hour, and I was in the parking lot at my company. Aside from the sheer embarrassment and frustration generally associated with accidents, the only harm done was to the vehicles. Neither one of us sustained any physical injury.
Ironically the person with whom this accident happened was the same person I walked into the building with this morning, had engaged in conversation with on the ride up the elevator, and had bid a "have a good day" as I exited on my floor.
What's even funnier in the context of today's story is the necessity that prompted my lunchtime excursion outside of my building in the first place: lunch. I had just spent my "lunch" hour in a safety training with the company's training director. Not having read over the entire announcement for the training, I didn't realize that lunch was not being served. So after hearing about how much safety costs companies who do not have great programs in place, I thought I would slip out to grab a bite before getting back to work. Too bad my 10 minute quick trip turned into an hour and a half lesson in ____________.
*(I still hadn't figured this out... maybe you could help me- I thought maybe it could be related to the can of soup i didn't want to eat at my desk, or perhaps my internal debate about going out in the rain, hadn't gotten an answer yet.)
At any rate, there we stood in the rain, waiting on the Jefferson County police to come file a report. Did I mention the Lexus was a loaner from the dealership as their care was in the shop for servicing... another unforeseen circumstance. We chopped it up with each other, with the security guard, until we fell into silence, waiting for the police officer to return with our licenses and insurance cards. (Yes, I took pictures with my phone... Gwen, that's for you... you knew it didn't you... hahahaha)
Being that I had already been a little weepy from the morning, I shed a tear or two in the car, mostly out of frustration, but remembered something Amy Grant said in her book Mosaic about her daily morning affirmation. Each morning she goes outside and says "this is the day that the Lord has made. This is the day, not tomorrow, not yesterday, this day, right now, that i'm standing in, is the day the Lord has made... and I will rejoice in it." And it came up in my spirit, so I repeated it to myself, over and over and over, emphasizing different parts of the scripture like she says she did, in an effort to reverse the negative feelings that were quickly creeping up.
And just to be transparent, I felt a hint of self pity, and probably wallowed in it for just a second, the whole "why me?" question we sometimes ask. But just as quickly as that thought came, my spirit told me to look for the lesson. What was too be gained from this? Now that I have not yet ascertained, but I know it will reveal itself in time.
As if that weren't enough, this evening when I got to class, I realized I did not have my book, and we were doing a major in class writing assignment that I needed to use my book as a reference. Talk about panic! As I scanned the room, I saw every person in there, book opened to the reference page, whispered to the girl next to me that I didn't have mine. Her face told her disbelief and sorrow for me. In the next second, I settled within myself that this may just have to be the writing assignment the instructor throws out, and prayed that I would have what I needed without the book to at least complete the assignment. Thankfully I did have enough information to write somewhat intelligently about the topic.
So in the ending of a LONG, rather eventful, somewhat disappointing day, I feel the need to redeem it through affirmations of gratefulness for good things that happened during the day.
Things that happened today that I'm thankful for:
- my coworker and the security guard gave me lunch money (free lunch! HA!)
- when I returned (after the accident) from getting lunch, there was a close parking space so i didn't have to walk far in the rain
- I had a chance to talk to my best friend before class
- I learned that any safety accident on a job is pure loss because estimators do not include it in their estimates for bids.
- that God's love is spread to kids in the Dominican Republic from sweet ladies who didn't necessarily want to go up and sponsor a child, but did anyway and is loving the fact that she did
- when we lose babies and feel great loss and sadness, we can find some comfort in knowing they are resting in the arms of God
- my life, it could have been worse.
- that when I see President Barack Obama on tv, like on David Letterman, I get excited again and relive the joy that came from him being elected Commander in Chief. He's just so "cool"
- that I am in love with a wonderful person (something I wasn't sure I would ever experience)
- that people still give hugs and still sympathize with one another
- In less than 5 days, i will be in the same room as Maya Angelou.
So at 12:07 AM, yesterday was over 7 minutes ago and when I wake up, it's already a new day.
Thank you Lord!
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