The Grace of God

This afternoon I received a call from my older brother, Geoff. Geoff lives in Cleveland, Ohio, and whenever he calls it creates in me an exhilaration that is not unlike what I felt when my Dad came home from work as I was growing up. I answered the phone to an emptiness realizing that I had just missed his call. I called back immediately. He answered with a catch in his throat and it took not more than a few words to realize that something was wrong.

"First off, Hannah's ok." He mentioned this, I'm sure, to keep me from frantic mood swings as I began to absorb the rest of what he was about to tell me. "She was in a head-on collision and is in the hospital. Its not life-threatening..." and he had to pause. He hung for a moment waiting for the ability to speak again. I tried to get him to speak up and release ANY information he had but he simply couldn't give me much. He had spoken with my Dad as he was walking into the Emergency Room to be with my sister who had just arrived in the aid car.

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Hannah Catherine Berges. Born in 1993 - the daughter and sister of a family so closely knit together. She was knit into our lives in a way that only God could have ordained. Her existence has changed everyone around her and just today we were caught red-handed as we've taken life so casually. We've assumed an attitude of being invincible, or even worse, "cared for" and "entitled to life" as we know it.

Hannah was in a head-on collision today going 50 mph. The impact was severe - totaling both vehicles involved. She is fairing well with no more than a broken nose and a deep cut in her leg. She will be released tomorrow morning to go home and recuperate.

Hannah, I praise God for you and your health. I love you so deeply it hurts to not be with you right now... I'm so glad David was there.

Our God is a God of grace. All glory to Him.