Good News: We Are Alive!

I thought I knew what my weekly Good News post would be about but then something else happened. My daughter and I were in an ATV accident. That’s not good news but stay with me.

One of the highlights of our time in Nova Scotia has been hitting the trails on our ATV and dirt bike. Emma and Justus were going to go out but then they asked if I wanted to come.

This was my graduation weekend, with the commissioning service having been the day before and the convocation ceremony taking place the next day. I thought hitting the trails with the kids would be a nice treat.

We decided to not go too wild but drive around a nice field off one of the trails. There was a bit of a hill that you could get some air and that was fun. After a couple of those, I thought it best to keep it safe, especially since Emma was on the back.

My “safe” decision was to drive in a circle near where that hill was while Justus jumped the hill on his bike. As I was doing a bit too sharp of a turn, we also hit a rut that I had not noticed and the ATV tipped. I thought it would just go in its side but it rolled right over Emma and I.

That was one of the scariest moments in my life. Not because I feared I was injured but because I did not know what happened to Emma. While struggling to breathe from injured ribs, I crawled to Emma to see if she was okay.

Thankfully, Justus was with us and with his quick thinking, he called Amanda. Amanda came to us with someone from the church, with Justus leading them to the exact spot.

We were alive and even able to walk but we were injured. We went to the house of the person who bought us back and then were examined by the paramedics. Soon we were in the ambulance going to the hospital.

How are we? Emma is a real trooper. She broke her collar bone and bruised her hip but she is doing remarkably well. I’m so proud of her.

I have some broken ribs, which I didn’t think would be a big deal except it’s difficult to breathe or move without excruciating pain shooting through me.

Needless to say, we did not go to my convocation ceremony. We did watch the livestream online however.

Where is the good news in all of this? One part is the overwhelming support we have received from our church, Acadia Divinity College, family, and some of my fellow military chaplains.

More than that, despite the pain, I’m thankful that Emma and I are okay. It was one of the most terrifying moments when I didn’t know if Emma was alive or dead or seriously injured. We are alive, together and that is what matters.

I must also mention my incredible wife, Amanda. Sunday was Mother’s Day and it should have been a day for me to spoil her. Instead, it was Amanda who was taking care of Emma and I. She has been incredible through this.

So this past weekend was not great, but there definitely was some Good News.

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