On our way to school, I had to pull over to let a firetruck whiz past and, as I was pulled over and looking ahead, I saw where he was going. There was a wreck directly at the entrance of our school. The cars were backed up in both directions and several cars in front of me were turning around so that they didn't have to wait. Everything was at a stand-still--including my heart.
I was rubber-necking like I never have before, hoping to see that everything was ok and to see if it was someone from school. We saw two mangled cars, with airbags askew...and then i saw some people on the side of the road. Tread saw them too.
This was the moment that is the freeze-frame of my mind: Tread yelled "It's Sydney!" , a classmate and good friend of his. When I looked to see a woman leaning over a person laid beside the car, for a moment i also thought it this girl and her mother. The moment I realized that it was not who we both thought it was, time resumed its normal pace and i was overwhelmed with relief. As I focused on trying to get past the wreckage and navigate my way towards the school, I tried to maintain composure and reassure my son that his friend was not in the wreck. We prayed that those involved would be ok. I saw that the person was moving and the ambulance was there, so things seemed positive.
The scene at the school was unlike most mornings, where the normal hustle and bustle was replaced with quiet, concerned faces looking out the windows. Teachers had calculated calm instructions for the kids in the classrooms, as they met in the hallway and whispered what they had seen or heard. The secretary was fielding phone calls.
Tread's teacher had some of his work to show me, so I followed her to the classroom. Conversation veered back to the events of the morning and she shared that she had lost both her grandparents at once in a fatal accident. As she was telling me the story, it dawned on her that this week was the 9th anniversary of when it happened. She remembers the details of how they had just come to visit her hours before the accident, and her grandfather told her how much he loved her. She recalled the moment with vivid clarity.
A week after their deaths, she said it was a dreary day and she was overwhelmed with sadness. She recounted how she pulled up to her house and saw 2 "little brown birds" splashing in some water and, for some reason, it caught her eye. She told me that the hymn "In the Sweet Bye and Bye" was playing in her car at that moment and she felt an incredible peace come over her. She watched the birds, listened to the song and felt ok.
I left the school building and sat in my car, watching as the wreckers loaded up the twisted cars, this old hymn going through my head.
A regular routine of a morning, to be shaken up by an unforeseen event. The people involved in the accident had been going through their regular morning routine, as well. Little do they realize the impact their experience had on everyone in our little school. Prayers sent up in little voices....memories recounted by sentimental adults. So many things to be thankful for. A day like every other day....a gft.
As I sat in my car, pondering these thoughts and emotions, a blue flurry outside caught my eye. A few precious bluebirds were scurrying about...which always makes me smile.
There's a land that is fairer than day,
And by faith we can see it afar;
For the Father waits over the way
To prepare us a dwelling place there.
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
We shall sing on that beautiful shore
The melodious songs of the blessed;
And our spirits shall sorrow no more,
Not a sigh for the blessing of rest.
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
To our bountiful Father above,
We will offer our tribute of praise
For the glorious gift of His love
And the blessings that hallow our days.
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
And by faith we can see it afar;
For the Father waits over the way
To prepare us a dwelling place there.
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
We shall sing on that beautiful shore
The melodious songs of the blessed;
And our spirits shall sorrow no more,
Not a sigh for the blessing of rest.
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
To our bountiful Father above,
We will offer our tribute of praise
For the glorious gift of His love
And the blessings that hallow our days.
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
