Fragile

A young teenage boy is riding his bicycle. To where? I don't know. Apparently listening to his ipod, he was possibly in his own world with a favorite song in his ear. It was a great summer day for a bike ride. And then....

...he crossed the road without looking... or listening. In a moment- gone!

A man is going about his afternoon doing his job, I imagine. He's driving a heavy tri-axle dump truck loaded with gravel. Tons of gravel. I don't know what stresses his daily life holds but I know the nature of life. They are there. It was a great summer day even if he had to be working. And then....

...a boy on a bicycle turns right into the path of his truck. In a moment! There's no time to stop, 'tho he tries. The truck screeches and leaves a black path of rubber before stopping in a soy bean field.

It's not the opening for a novel. It's a true story that transpired just yesterday afternoon. It was around 2:30. The girls and I were checking out some groceries at our local small town IGA. We heard the sirens from the fire house across the street. Looking out the glass windows that are the front of the store, the cashier and I saw several emergency vehicles go screaming around the corner heading south. Both of us were concerned. Something told me that whatever call for help they were answering was BAD. The cashier expressed the same concern. I told her that it causes me to pray hard. She agreed.

As we pulled out of the parking lot, I glanced down the road headed south and saw the lights south of town. That feeling still lingering... it's BAD.

Today we got hay. We purchase hay from a gentleman who has become a dear friend to us. He and his family are wonderful people who are like extended family to us. He asked if our girls rode their bikes much... "yep"... "On the road?"... "no. Around the yard and on the driveway.".... He was sitting at the intersection waiting to turn when the boy crossed right in front of the gravel truck. A witness to that horrific event. He did not sleep well last night. Shaken to the depths of his soul is not an exaggeration.

Fragile.

Life is so very fragile.

In a moment, EVERYTHING can change.

Yesterday, our sweet Hair-Tied-In-Knots was pushing a bicycle over a landscape timber.. just to get it to the other side so she could ride it. It bounced up and attacked her. Her poor sweet smile was now covered in blood. I still don't understand how that thing did the damage that it did to her mouth. It was just one of those things... a freak thing, I guess. But she's now worried about smiling and someone seeing her bloodied, torn up gums. Her teeth are sore and she suffered some chips. It hurt and still hurt my mommy heart... and Gram's heart... and GDude's heart... and Daddy's heart --- Probably not as much as her mouth hurts. But chipped and bloody... we still have her here with us.

Oh Lord! Be quick to comfort that boy's family! Give them peace that ONLY You can give. Be with that man who was driving. Be with our dear friend who witnessed the accident. Give them Peace... Comfort... and Your Love!

It was a great summer day!

In a moment...

FRAGILE!!