In An Instant...

It's been nearly 7 hours and I still can't stop my heart from racing. Just the thought of it brings me to the brink. My head hurts and I imagine it's from the sheer stress of it all. My eyes are puffy from all of the crying and I'm pretty sure they're not done yet.

I was preparing for company when the doorbell rang. The little girl next door came to deliver the news, "Kaja's hurt!" The news itself didn't surprise me. As the mother of 4 active children, this message has been brought to our house before. Usually the injured Matchett had scraped a knee or caught a football with their face, but something told me this was different. I wasn't surprised by the messenger's words, but I was surprised by her demeanor. Terror and panic were splashed across her face, tears welled up in her big brown eyes, and every part of her little 2nd grade body was trembling with fear. I dropped everything and ran outside to find my daughter.

My husband and his friend Josh had been in the garage working when they heard the news. They arrived on the scene before me and it's a good thing, I don't think I could have handled it otherwise. Our house and our next door neighbor's house are built on top of a hill. We have the pleasure of overlooking a spectacular wooded ravine. Only a small portion of our backyards are landscaped before plunging straight down to a steep and treacherous drop that is peppered with trees. Kaja just learned how to ride a bike last week. She was riding in our neighbors driveway when she lost control and found herself flying towards the ravine. Every attempt to hit the brakes was in vain as the bike just picked up speed and plummeted over the cliff taking my baby girl through a dense maze of trees before throwing her violently to the bottom.

As I ran towards the scene I could see our neighbor looking over the edge. It was too steep for him to walk down. Todd and Josh had managed to make their way down an easier path and were at the bottom scooping up Kaja and her broken bicycle. I could hear my baby screaming and crying and I knew in that instant that God had had mercy on me. As I looked over that edge and I saw all of the trees that she had to avoid on her horrific drop to the bottom, I knew that it was nothing short of a miracle. She was covered in dirt, scraped and bruised beyond belief, and she may have a sprain or two... BUT she is alive!

As I gently washed the dirt and debris from my little girl's beaten body I wept. I've never seen anything like it in my nearly 14 years of parenting. As bad as it was though it could have been so much worse. She could have died. In an instant I was reminded of what's really important in this life. Just 24 hours earlier as we settled down to watch some television after our evening meal, Kaja snuggled up next to me in my chair. I was feeling a little crowded and I tried to encourage her to find another spot. It was the end of a long day and I felt like I deserved some space. Tonight, the last thing I wanted from my Kaja was space.

Tonight I was reminded that my children are among the most valuable and precious gifts I have ever been given and I don't know how long I'll get to keep them for. Tonight, God protected my baby. He saved her life. I can never repay Him and I can never thank Him enough. I can only fall to my knees and praise Him, for He is holy.

Plane & Simple

Today I write to you from a steel tube that is hurling through the open sky at an alarming rate of speed. I’m surrounded by complete strangers who for the most part are keeping to themselves. There is one empty seat that separates me from the other man in my row. I’m sure he is thankful for the buffer since I just experienced a disgusting, out of control coughing attack that left me with tears streaming down my face, robbing me of all of my makeup, my kleenex, and my dignity. Across the aisle sits my husband. The man I’ve been married to for nearly 16 years is playing it cool, pretending not to know me. I can’t really blame him. I’m certain I would do the same thing if the situation were reversed.

The seatbelt sign is illuminated. The sky looks clear to me but something is causing this big jet to jump. I really don’t like to fly. You would think I would be used to it, being the daughter of a pilot and all. I’m certainly no stranger to the sky. I’ve been on hundreds of planes in my lifetime. I’ve traveled all over the world but at the end of the day, I would rather be on the ground.

I think becoming a mom took the daredevil right out of me. It made me look at everything differently. Things I did without thinking twice about before having kids, like skiing and parasailing are suddenly not my idea of a good time. I am more aware of the risks and the dangers. I now have a reason to live and I don’t want anything to jeopardize it.

It’s probably for similar reasons that I don’t like to fly. It just doesn’t seem like a smart thing to do. But there is one thing that redeems flying in an airplane for me. One thing that makes it all worthwhile. One person actually... my dad. Flying was his life and it makes me feel closer to him. My dad passed away six years ago and I miss him. He was a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force before becoming a captain for TWA. He was masterfully skilled and highly respected. When we were on an airplane, we were on his turf. He felt more confident and more comfortable behind the controls of a plane than he ever did behind the wheel of a car. Probably because he understood it.

When I look out of my little oval window at the giant wing and see the flaps popping up and down, when I hear the loud clunks, or feel the sudden shifts in motion, I fear for my life and I assume the worst. But when I was with my dad, and similar things would happen, he didn’t bat an eye because he understood how it all worked. He knew exactly where each sound came from. He knew the reasons behind the shifts in motion. My dad wasn’t a tough man. He wasn’t particularly strong but when he accompanied me on a plane, I felt safe.

So today I have been given a gift. I took a journey back in time. I was a little girl once again, walking through the busy airport with my dad, the captain. I beamed inside as I noticed the passengers pointing at my father as if they were seeing a celebrity. I boarded the plane and remembered the days when my dad was by my side. I remember how it felt to be on his turf. I am reminded that even when things seem scary or out of control to me, my Father has everything under control. He knows how it all works and when He’s with me, I’m safe.