Happy Birthday 30!
Verse:
Ecclesiastes 7:14 (NLT) ~ Enjoy prosperity while you can. But when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. That way you will realize that nothing is certain in this life.I don’t know too many people who are excited about turning the corner to 30’s door. It’s like some archaic rite of passage that taunts us until its arrival, and haunts us for some time thereafter. No one wants to cross that threshold, or admit that they have crossed it. But 30 had decided that it was going to remind me of how blessed I was to meet her!!
I remember waking up on April 14, 2008 like any other day – except I was 8 months pregnant! As I was peeling myself from my pillow and sheets, it hit me. Suddenly I felt so heavy and slightly panicky. I pulled myself out of the bed to make a beeline to the bathroom, all the while hoping to myself that I had the dates wrong. That theory went down the drain when I heard my daughter’s sweet little voice on the other side of the door.
“Mommy, is that you?”
“Yes Bean. Good Morning.”
“Good Morning Mommy. Happy Birthday!”
I mumbled my “Thank You” through gritted teeth under this horrible revelation…
Oh God, I’m 30!
Not that I had to tell Him that, but it was just ringing through my ears, every annex of my brain was taunting me. I was seeing 30’s every time I blinked. I had to say, ‘Shake yourself girl! It's just another year, now lets go!’ So I did. As I stood up in utter defiance of what today meant, I felt funny, lightheaded. This was nothing new for me though. I had fainting spells with every pregnancy. I sipped on a glass of water and went on about this wretched day.
I made sure to eat before I left, since I had been feeling lightheaded earlier. I wasn’t too excited about going to work and hearing all the jokes and banter that I knew was coming. I just wanted maternity leave to come and come quickly so I could get this little boy out! None the less, being the dedicated worker that I am, lol, I trudged my way in.
About 10 minutes into the ride, I’m feeling light headed again, so I tried to pull off the main road so that I could park and get myself together. The last thing I remember is flicking my turn signal and turning the wheel to the right.
A loud thud woke me from my slumber. Ask me at that very moment, and I would have told you that I thought I was still home in bed. I hear the radio playing, the engine is still running, but the car is not moving. I look up and don’t recognize my surroundings. What’s even stranger is that I am sideways in someone’s driveway.
That’s when I realized what happened. Well, somewhat. Since the car is still running and I feel okay, I gotta get outta here before someone sees me! (I know, dumb right?) So I try to put the car in reverse, to no avail. I’m trying to go backwards, but the car is stuck on something. Then I heard a woman’s voice yelling anxiously, “No! Stop! Are you okay? Don’t move!”
I felt like a little kid with my hand caught in the cookie jar, until I looked up at her face. She was distraught, running across the street, concern and worry leaking from her voice. She was an older Black woman, maybe in her late 50’s wearing a lightweight jogging suit. I could see where she came from, and an older gentleman was on the porch with his cell phone in his hand. Then the baby kicked.
I grabbed my stomach, and by that time she had made it to the driver’s side door. I still wasn’t quite sure what was going on, or what I had done. It had to be serious by her reaction.
“Sweetheart, can you open the door or roll down the window?”
“Yes ma’am.”
As I opened the car door, she gasped at the sight of my baby bump.
“Honey, she’s pregnant!” she yelled.
“I’m okay, I’m okay.” I tried to calm her, as she was more upset than I was. She mumbled something to herself about taking me out of the car. She was stroking my face, wiping away my tears, still mumbling incoherently, until her husband suddenly appeared.
“What happened?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” was all I could reply.
They went on to explain that they were about to go for their morning jog when they saw my car coming up the street. The impact with the utility box was the only thing that stopped the car from crashing into the other neighbors home. The wife’s concern was that the car was still running as it was sitting on top of this utility box. But before long, the police and the paramedics arrived, and after some irritating and embarrassing questioning, I was taken to the hospital via ambulance.
It seemed like every doctor, every nurse that came to see me had to ask the same question, “What is your date of birth?” By the fifth person, I had formed this irritated chuckle, thinking, “Is that not on the fifty-eleven forms you had me fill out?” So when I responded to her with, “You all just want to torture me, don’t you?” She looked down at her paperwork and as I watch the smile pass from her eyes to her lips, she says, “Well, Happy Birthday 30! You’ll never forget this one, huh?”
I am almost a week away from my 32nd birthday, and I can’t help but think back to how blessed I am. After that accident, I heard 2 more stories very similar to mine, where those drivers did not survive. There was no obstruction (the electric box) to protect them from disaster. Sitting in that hospital room, feeling the beautiful and sometimes painful kick of my baby, to breathe without pain, to escape the accident without even one scratch……
Jesus.
Phillipians 4:11 ~ Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am in to be content.NOW YOU
The bible speaks of contentment in several verses. It’s such a simple concept with such critical value. We complain daily about our wants and limitations, when in a moment, it all could be gone. When I get in the complaining mode, I think back to this situation and can thank and praise God for protecting me, for showing me my imperfections, and for still loving me just the same. I learned that sometimes the things that appear to be obstructions may just be the very thing to save your life. Have you had a ‘wake-up’ experience that changed your life? Obstacles that you thought would turn your life upside down, but taught you a valuable lesson? Share your story/testimony. You never know who you might bless!! Selah!
~Poetyss~
