I am alive. My husband is alive. My kids are all alive.

I am so incredibly thankful right now.

Usually the first Monday of the month I post about one of my favorite influential books, but Saturday changed things. We were going to a music festival downtown when an elderly lady tried to make a left turn. Right in front of us.

Brian immediately slammed on the brakes, but there was nothing we could do as she rolled right in front of us. It all happened in about one second.

Our SUV broadsided hers and we spun around and nearly ended up facing the cars behind us. I was completely stunned as the airbags deployed and as the car came to a stop, I sat there in shock and in pain. And then I heard my kids screaming and one of them yelling something.

“I’m bleeding! I’m bleeding! I’m bleeding!”

This is one of the worst feelings in the entire world. I looked back and saw my six-year old had hit his head and gashed open his forehead all the way to the bone. There was about a half-dollar size chunk of his skull showing and blood everywhere. My other kids were screaming like I’d never heard them before.

My car door was jammed shut and I threw myself against it to get it to open. And that is when I realized how bad the accident was. The car that had pulled in front of us was overturned lanes away from where we had hit, the impact had been so great.

This is why I wanted to share this story today. God is so good. People came out of nowhere to help us. A kind, older lady sat with my three-year old and talked to him to keep him calm while I held Luke and tried to get his bleeding stopped. Ethan said that a man offered him his shirt to help with Luke’s wound.

My foster daughter came away unscathed. Her car seat was still rear-facing so when we hit, she just was pushed into the seat’s padding instead of her neck snapping forward. I had almost switched it a week before, but I had a conversation with a friend that had encouraged me to leave it that way since her feet weren’t hitting the seatback yet.

The accident was close to a pediatric ER and there were so many wonderful EMT’s who responded. One of them in the ambulance was able to distract Luke and Jackson as we rode to the hospital asking about their favorite superheroes and Luke actually cracked a smile. I wish I knew his name; he gave Luke a rubber army bracelet because he said he was being so tough. Luke hasn’t taken it off yet.

The lady that caused the accident seemed to be okay. Brian said that he saw her walk to the ambulance on her own.

I was in shock long enough to get the kids to the ER before my pain became too much for me to take care of them. I’m so thankful because the four of them needed Brian and me badly and didn’t need to see me getting treated too.

I thought I cracked some ribs, but my x-rays and CAT scans were clean and showed no signs of internal injuries. I’m incredibly bruised and in pain especially since my fibromyalgia is flaring and probably have a concussion and a sprained wrist, but I’m going to be okay. We are all going to be okay.

I looked at the photos of the accident today and I looked over at all my kids. I am honestly amazed that it wasn’t worse. As they were sitting together smiling and watching a movie, I felt immense gratitude because God truly protected us.

This is worship.

I’m writing this because God is good even when things are bad. I write often about needing to trust Him more since it is one thing I struggle with continually. It is so hard knowing that I can’t protect my kids, but honestly, they belong to God even more than they do to me and He loves them even more than I do. He is the One who can protect them and He did. There is no reason on earth that one is unscathed (albeit scared), two are bruised, and one hit his head and needed stitches only other than God.

My car is totaled. The other SUV is totaled too. And nobody died. This is grace, God’s unmerited favor poured out on us in the form of protection in a terrible accident. This is why we should worship Him: He is good even in bad circumstances. And even if things had been worse, He is still good. His plans are not our plans and you can bet that He is using this for His glory.

So, I don’t have a car anymore. My Highlander was older so we doubt insurance will give us much for it. We weren’t planning on buying one anytime soon either so we didn’t have that budgeted for so we are going to have to continue to trust God in this. But, He’s proven Himself in what has always been my worst nightmare, realized this Saturday. I think I can trust Him with the car too. After all, it is just a thing and this one did it’s job.

I’ve been humbled too by the outpouring of support from our friends and family. I love all these people like crazy and I can’t express how thankful I am for them especially as it is going to take Luke and me a least a couple of weeks to heal. They are being like Christ to us.

And God is good.