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 | Jonathan’s Resource Ezine |
Weekly Resources, Ideas and Articles from The Source for Youth Ministry
Tuesday, November 21, 2000
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| Upside-down in a BMW |
November 21, 2000
I looked into the eyes of my six year old and hugged him tighter than I’ve ever hugged him before. Sometimes you forget how thankful you are for the people you see every day!
I was with my family at a Christmas Party last year trying to keep an eye on my three little ones, they are prone to mischief, much like their father. My dad was in the corner of the room listening to our cousin talk about his new BMW 740 IL. It can be turned on from the key from 100 feet away and be warmed up for you when you get in. It has a voice activated phone, that dials numbers when you simply say their name. The leg room in the back is comparable to a first class seat in most aircrafts. Anti-lock brakes, all the safety features, a fine automobile, only $80,000 new. Next thing I know, they were going for a test drive. They grabbed me to come along. I turned to grab my son Alec- I like taking my little pal with me on these type of excursions- but he was running around with his sisters in the other room. My dad and cousin were eager, so I signaled my wife (the old “I’m ducking out real quick, can you watch the kids?” signal) and ran down the stairs. My mom joined us, she and I in the back seat, my father and his cousin in the front.
A minute later we’re flying down the road, experiencing the true majesty of this fine automobile. . . until my cousin underestimated a curve in the road.
It’s true. You really do see this stuff in slow motion. I heard the wheels skid and in a few seconds I saw us heading toward a telephone pole. I remember seeing the pole approaching and thinking, “Oh no . . . this is it!” and that’s the last thing I remember for a few seconds.
The 740 IL had skidded sideways, flipped in the air at least a rotation and a half before landing upside-down in a ditch in the side of the road.
I remember opening my eyes and wondering what had happened, quickly overpowered by a stronger feeling of “It’s over! We’re alive! Thank God!” One at a time we asked each other, “You okay?”
“Yeah, you okay?”
“I think so, how is everybody?”
I was the first one to realize that we were upside-down- either me or my mom, that is, when I landed on top of her shortly after clicking my seatbelt off and flying to the roof on the other side of the car!
“Uh, DON’T take off your belts you guys,” I grunted out, folded in the corner of the car across my mom, “we’re upside-down.”
In hind site, I think my mom was thinking, “DO YOU THINK SO!”
Five minutes later we’re all standing on the side of the road next to an upside-down, $80,000 raison. Our cousin, continuing his speal, jokingly said to my dad, “and that’s what the bottom of a BMW looks like!” The car was totaled . . .and you know what . . . no one cared. The only thing we all kept repeating was, “Are you okay?”
Five minutes before we were all very impressed with an automobile. Now it was a hunk of metal.
I could only think about one thing . . . reaching back for my son not five minutes before . . . What if he would have came with us? Would I have remembered to make him put on his belt? Would he have been okay like the rest of us? What if he wasn’t? You can drive yourself crazy with these thoughts.
My wife and I prayed that night.
“Thank you for the reminder of what is temporary and what is eternal. THINGS are only temporary. Why do we spend so much time pursuing them. God help us to concentrate on what’s important . . . on our relationship with you, our relationship with our family . . . our relationship with others. . .”
My stomach hurt and tears ran down my cheeks as I thought of my children.
” . . . God . . . thank you that Alec didn’t come with me. Thank you for your protective hand. We don’t deserve your love and your Grace. Thanks!”
Take some time to be thankful for things that matter. God has blessed us all . . . and it shouldn’t take a car wreck to remember what’s important!
Happy Thanksgiving,
Jonathan
Jonathan McKee is president of The Source for Youth Ministry and author of the new book “Do They Run When They See You Coming? Reaching Out to Unchurched Teenagers.” (CLICK HERE FOR THE BOOK) Jonathan speaks and trains across the country and provides free online resources, training, & ideas for youth workers at www.TheSource4YM.com 
Jonathan McKee
Jonathan McKee is the author of over twenty books including the brand new The Guy's Guide to FOUR BATTLES Every Young Man Must Face; The Teen’s Guide to Social Media & Mobile Devices; If I Had a Parenting Do Over; and the Amazon Best Seller - The Guy's Guide to God, Girls and the Phone in Your Pocket. He speaks to parents and leaders worldwide, all while providing free resources for youth workers on TheSource4YM.com. Jonathan, his wife Lori, and their three kids live in California.