EXACTLY two years ago last night, I had the now infamous motorcycle accident in Redding, Northern California, where I was blessed to be living at the time. I shared very openly and vulnerably about all this here and in my social media two years ago.
Most of you reading on here will have read of it at the time, but if you want to refresh your memory go back to my 2018 archives. Literally hundreds of people accessed my pages, which was a little shocking at the time. But I suppose I forgot how much Northern Ireland people love a, ‘ good gossip’ about a bad news story on someone they know of! 😉
During this unique pandemic-induced time we are all living in now two years on, as the planet has shockingly shut-down into relative stillness, we (nearly) all have more time on our hands, and a bit more time to reflect. I thought I’d stop tonight and just share a little update on this positive, encouraging story from such a terrible accident two years ago, which many have reminded me ( then and since) that I am, ‘lucky to have walked away from,’ without life changing injuries or indeed death.
Its been a bit of a “journey” since, in these last two years, healing from injuries in both my knee and my elbow.
It’s only when we slow down, as humans, we appreciate details more.
It is very humbling to look at my left elbow these days, which suffered a deep, deep wound, apparently like a gun shot, as a stone or some kind of debris shot up my arm and out again causing 3 deep lacerations somehow, despite wearing a metal protective jacket, but miraculously avoided the bones. Miraculously again, I avoided breaking any bones on impact as I came off the small Yamaha fast moped after the dangerous driver up in front pulled left last minute and forced the hard braking and accident which ensued on Twinview Boulevard.
My elbow is completely healed, two years on, and I have full flexibility, for which I praise and thank God for, after multiple prayers at the time and since were answered. I was warned by the California medics at the time that I would probably have tatooing and great scarring for life on my forearm, (I told them I didn’t care as long as I still had a functioning elbow!).
However, as you can see, above, this has not been the case. It’s actually pretty amazing. I’m very, very grateful. (I couldn’t have made my pandemic pallet bench this week otherwise!!)
Oh and the insurance companies eventually both paid out – my American insurance and my British travel insurance, which I’d been careful to take out beforehand. I had to fight with them, and persevere and endure, ridiculously so. But after four long months (with the UK travel insurance company making it intentionally as difficult as possible to claim), I eventually won the battle I should not have had to fight. Gratefully, in the end, I had all my medical bills and expenses covered.
It was quite a journey, and one that quite literally marks me & I shall never ever forget for the rest of my life. And perhaps you may find it strange but I wouldn’t trade the experience for the world. I encountered God very much through it all, and God’s practical, tangible love through my Redding based friends, and in particular my then house mate Andrea.
I am forever grateful to those friends who got me through that uniquely difficult time – you know who you are. Thankyou
Restoration looks like full restoration. In the end.
And this restoration continued with a now phenomenal cheap last minute trip back to Redding again for “vacation”, in February this year, just before the pandemic chaos exploded in the Western world. Maybe more on that another time.
With God, all things are possible.
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