After the accident, I didn't know if I would ever see these people who had helped us again. Most of them, I didn't even know their names.... or who they were. Some of them were wearing uniforms of one kind or another. All I knew is that they had been there, and I was thankful. I thanked God they were there... abut who were these people? I didn't know. All I knew is that I was thankful to both God who answered my prayer that day, who calmed my fears and walked me through something I didn't ever want to see, let alone do, and for these people too. But then on last Saturday evening, I had the opportunity to chat with some of the people who were on the scene of the jet ski accident a couple of weeks ago. Seeing them was a little bit like seeing an old friend.
Funny, I could recognize them in a crowd.
From a distance, only another face in the crowd, there was a person we didn't really know, or even know their names. but we had something deep in common. One was a man named Kent and a man named Dale, both who were on the scene and who helped get David and Bethany out of the water and to shore.
I felt really honored to meet them up close and personal, in a different set of circumstances, to look at them and tell them how much I appreciated that they were there. These men really did a lot for us that day. But you know, at the time, there was no time for introductions, now, like old friends who had been through a war or some other significantt adventure together, we could sit, relax and talk about "the old times."
All I remember is someone handing me their phone for safekeeping and the next thing I knew he was jumping into a boat and heading out on to the water to see who is in need of help. That was Kent. The man, just showed up out of nowhere and the next instant I was taking care of his phone. Of course, more important things became necessary to hold on to, and when I remembered, I had been given this man's possession, I found it with my own things on the beach.
Dale, he had been out boating himself when the crash occurred across the lake. There he was , just having a lovely day too, when he ventured over to see hwat had happened to the other boaters over yonder. No time for introductions then. The next thing he knew he found himself helping an obviously injured person, delivering her safely to the shore, and then heading back out onto the water to see if he could help the other men who were still out there. He ended up helping to get David on a boat. When he left his house just moments earlier, he had not idea there would be this kind of an adventure in his day.
I think that most people who are strangers in these types of situations, never meet up again. They just have an encounter at the scene and then part ways and never see one another again. If they do see one another, maybe they do not recognize one another, or maybe they just rather not be seen. But tonight I met and shook hands and exchanged names with these two faces once again, faces that are now etched into my mind...faces of two souls that touched my heart.
"Thank you." I told them, each individually. I felt so honored to say those two little words.... "thank you." But I must confess, those little words it seemed a little bit trivial to say. It happened twice. In the back of my mind , as the words rolled out of my mouth into their ears, I wondered if these two little words could even begin to express the gratitude I felt inside of me for the role they had assumed that day.
They were like old friends as they asked about David and Bethany... "How is David doing?" they would say; "How is Bethany?" they asked.
(Yes, these were friends, no longer people who were strangers, for they even knew their names!)
As I answered their questions, they were quite surprised (as the rest of us have been these past two weeks) to hear that David had fared so well as awful as this accident had been. The way it has all turned out is "nothing short of a miracle," I said, and they heartily agreed. They knew most all the gory details.... they were witnesses of much more than me that day. Each then also proceeded to tell me the story of the events that transpired on the lake, from their perspectives.
I noticed in the hospital waiting room that whenever people gave their perspective on what had happened it was a if someone turned on a light. When this happened, sketchy little bits and pieces that were rummaging about the brain would, like pieces of a puzzle, fall interestingly into place. As people added their perspectives more of the picture would take shape and before long it was not so sketchy. It was more like a two dimensional photograph in the mind, a bigger better picture of what happened that day. After listening to Kent and Dale, I'd say my perspective of it all burst out into 3-D.
Not being in the know about the outcome, they were elated to hear that David was recovering nicely and that Bethany had been released from he hospital the same day of the accident. They were in awe (along with the rest of us) regarding how well things have progressed over the two weeks of time. In particular, that his injuries were what they were instead of what they could have been, (what they thought they would be.) They told me about how they went home to their own families that day and told their loved ones about the incident that occurred before their very eyes and couldn't sleep.
Yes, "Thank you." seems a little trivial, but I was glad to say it , and I meant it, and I meant it from the bottom of my heart.
There are plenty of people to thank too... beside those who were in our party.... our host and hostess, Kent and Dale, there are a lot of other people I do not even know who come to mind. Neighbors, boaters, other people who were there out ooout the lake. There are the police and paramedics, the Air Evac and ambulance workers, and by the way, in case you are ever injured, you might want to know who it is that serves currently as president.(many people asked this question that day!) There are doctors, nurses, hospital staff...lots of caring, hardworking people many just doing their jobs, but still people who are thanked for what they do, each and every day... for perfect strangers.
There are many people who have been praying too! One of which might even be reading this....
So, if that is you... I know it is only two little words, but believe me when I say,
"Thank you!!"
Some even say, "Viola"....
