Brace Yourselves, it's Gonna be a Long One.

Five years ago in the month of November on the 30th Dustin almost died in a car accident. Many of you already know this if you been our friends for a few years but many of you don't know this story. It's an amazing story of God's love in our lives.

It's easy to forget isn't it? To forget the major events in our lives that caused you to wonder why you would ever doubted the things you believe. To forget the reasons why you've come to trust in the God who made us. There are many instances in my life that have drawn me closer to my Saviour, and this was a big one. There are few times when I have felt more peace or been more comforted by the Holy Spirit than when I almost lost the man I fell in love with. It's a bit of a long story but I'll to keep it concise with out too much rambling.

Story goes as such. On November 30th 2000, Dustin was driving back to work after a lunch break and was T-boned by a large truck on the drivers side door. Where of course he'd been sitting. The impact of this collision was enough to slam the drivers seat into the middle of the car and wedge him tightly to the gear shift. That picture is the actual car afte the collision. Fortunately Dustin remembers VERY little of the accident and the days following. I however, remember every detail. What I forgot sometimes comes back to me in my dreams. I'm not traumatised by what happened or anything but more so amazed at how Dustin managed to survive the whole ordeal.

At the time we were still just in the dating phase of our relationship. We weren't engaged yet, but had talked about marriage in our future. I was very in love with Dustin as it's hard not to be if you know him. I recieved a call from Dustin's boss in the middle of serving the lunch rush as I was a server at Earls restaurant at the time. aneedless to say I was a little shocked and panicked at the news of the accident so his boss offered to pick me up rather than me driving in such a state. When we arrived at the ER Dustin had just come out of X-ray as they thought he may have broken his hip. He hadn't but his pelvis was cracked. It was pretty surreal and shocking to see him laying there, blood running down his face as the windshield had shattered and shards of it had cut his scalp. I held his hand and told him I was there and he was okay, but he never said a word. He Just lay there with his eyes shut tight, breathing rapidly.

It was overwhelmingly busy that day in the Emergency room. People were everywhere! Filling up the waiting room, on stretchers in the hallway. Nurses and doctors bustling about in and out of rooms barking orders at each other. Apparently it had been a bad day for accidents in Edmonton. Unfortunately for Dustin he seemed to be one of the "less severe cases" so he ended up being one of the patients to lay on a stretcher in the hall as the medical staff attended to patients in more immediate danger. Only what they failed to realize was that Dustin had a ruptured spleen. An injury that if not treated within hours of the initial impact had 90% fatality. Things I've since learned from becoming a nurse. Now that I think back on it, I can't believe they didn't catch on to the fact that he was bleeding internally. His symptoms were so obvious. His heart rate was WAY up and his blood pressure had been steadily dropping for hours. It's shameful the treatment Dustin recieved. He lay there on that cot for over ten hours slowly bleeding to death internally.

Dustin's sister Danielle and her husband Brad had arrived at the hospital not too long after I had. I was so thankful to have had their support in there. At one point we looked at Dustin and knew that something was very wrong. His skin was yellow, his breathing shallow, he was unconscious and we were scared. We prayed for a miracle. Then strangley, a paramedic came over to talk to Danielle about that time and asked her if Dustin was her brother. He then told her that he was not looking well and we needed to get a doctor Now. And then as soon as he'd appeared the paramedic was gone. I know many people are skeptical of angels appearing to people but I have no doubt in my heart that angel or not, that person was sent to us by God to save Dustin's life.

After the doctor came and saw Dustin they immediately performed a number of tests on him. Confirming that he did have some very serious injuries including but not limited to a collapsed lung, a ruptured spleen, a torn liver, a broken pelvis and minor lacerations to his head. The days after that we're long and hard but better than the first night. He had a operation to remove his spleen only they thankfully didn't need to as it had miraculously begun to heal on its own. My parents came the day after as did Dustin's. I was thankful to have my mom there having been a nurse for many years she was often getting after the nurses to assure Dustin's quality of care was up to par. If they didn't listen to her because she wasn't family she'd tell them that she was Dustin's "future mother in law!" Thanks mom!

After I went home the second night to try and get some rest I was so afraid. Afraid that he really was going to die. At that time he was just about to go in for surgery on his spleen because his hemoglobin had still been dropping. I lay there on the floor of my apartmentin fear and exhaustion and cried. I couldn't understand why Dustin would be the one to get hurt. " God he could do such great things for you!" I wasn't sure if I could live without Dustin. And then, as I lay there...
it was like God just reached down and wrapped His own hands right around me and held me there. And I KNEW without a shadow of a doubt that I would be okay whether Dustin lived or died. We all live and die. But I knew the Lord and the infinite depth of His love for me. That was what mattered. I have never felt peace and joy such as I have on that night. Enveloped in the love and embrace of my heavenly father. I praise him daily that he chose to have Dustin stay with us here just a little bit longer. I could understand why he would want him in heaven with him. But he will have him someday. Thankyou Lord that I can enjoy Dustin still to this day. Never will I forget the gift that Dusin is to me. Truly a gift from the Lord! And even more than that, NEVER will I forget the abounding grace and love the Father holds for me. I know life will continue to throw it's fury of challenges and aches and pain at me. But the Lord is the anchor that holds me secure in that storm. I see this same truth and peace reflected in so many that I know who have and are facing trials. Trials of cancer, or relationship troubles, or seeing loved ones hurting or in pain. It's brings me such joy and encouragement to be reminded daily in the faces of others the truth of God's grace and love towards us.

Here is my all time favourite passage.

"Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS. I will say it again REJOICE! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. DO not be anxiousabout anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which trascends all unerstanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. "
Philippians 4:4-7

"And I pray that you being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
Ephesians3:18,19

May we never forget.