We Need Easter Miracles

If you asked me 48 hours ago what an Easter miracle looked like, I'd say it was a cross between a winning Powerball ticket and at least 3 peanut butter eggs all to myself.

I've since changed my outlook.

Yesterday I was feeling super blessed after a nice lunch with longtime friends Tom and Toni in Waupaca and a visit with Jim's Uncle Richard as long as we were in the neighborhood. But that feeling changed when later in the afternoon while I was inside the carwash at Kwik Trip I got a text that my sister Rachel was in a serious car accident.

In a nutshell, she was driving her Taurus at left in the picture and heading west to go to church when the eastbound vehicle crossed the center line and hit her head-on. It took emergency crews an hour to extricate her and then airlift her to the Twin Cities. She was in surgery for an estimated 8 hours. Needless to say, she's got a lot of trauma to her body. 

Broken bones in left arm, hip and leg plus some ribs, her sternum and a few vertebrae. Then there's the damage (not sure if major or minor) to spleen etc in abdominal area. It sounds horrific but it is indeed an Easter miracle that she's alive.

It was a long night and long day today awaiting updates. We hosted Jim's family for Easter dinner so that was a nice break, so to speak. I'll probably get over to the cities this week, depending on surgeries and Rachel's ability/permissibility to have visitors. There's 5 other sisters and brother all within an hour or so of the hospital. Plus our mom.

When I talked to Mom tonight she was understandably out of sorts. If you can believe that at 92 years old and having 8 kids, this is the first traumatic experience. Apparently God has been performing Easter miracles all along and we just didn't realize it or appreciate it.

Thank you, God! And happy Easter to all! Hope you all had miracles to celebrate.

P.S. If you're the praying type, Rachel could sure use a few. Thanks!

Portage County Choppers

Even though I've worked in Stevens Point for nearly 6 years, I didn't realize that my after-work exit to Michael's and JoAnn's also had an Aspirus ER. I guess my priorities (and blessings) are mixed up.

Tonight after work, as I took the County HH exit to hit Walmart in rural Plover, I saw the chopper when I stopped for a red light. Of course, second nature is to grab my camera (or in this case phone) and snap a picture.

Don't judge me for being an ambulance chaser. I did my usual prayer, too. 

Long ago, I switch my praying habit from asking for a miracle. It's more like: God, please help the medical personnel do the best to their ability. Then, please help the patient and family have strength to deal with the outcome."

Even tonight, in my quest for chocolate for my work candy dish, it still might have just been a training exercise. But I said the prayer, as I do with every other emergency vehicle. Then, of course, said thank God my family and kiddos were safe. At least for that moment.

Thank you, emergency personnel of any branch, for doing the best you can to keep us safe!