“Moments of tragedy provide opportunities to demonstrate grace." ~ 1 Peter 3:9
The moment Eric met his first
child, he recalled thinking, “What a gift! What a miracle!” The Georgia Youth
Pastor was blown by the way God used people and nature to create little humans.
Now as he prepared to be a Dad for the second time, he felt that same euphoria…
until his life changed tragically.
He awoke to the news that his wife’s car had been struck by a
driver who fell asleep at the wheel. Faith, his then 19-month-old toddler,
survived the crash. His wife died instantly in the collision along with their
unborn son.
Twenty-year-old Matt, a rookie firefighter paramedic, had
been heading home after completing a sleepless 24-hour shift when he drifted
into oncoming traffic and hit June’s car head-on. The crash would forever bind
the two men’s lives.
It’s not hard to imagine the words Eric might’ve spoken to
Matt, given the chance. But contact with the defendant was prohibited while the
case wound its way through the legal system.
Eventually, prosecutors approached Eric about whether he
wanted them to pursue the maximum sentence against the paramedic. But the newly
widowed father also recognized an opportunity to practice the grace that he
often preached about.
The two men never spoke directly to each other again until
the 2-year anniversary of June’s death. Enough time had passed for Erik to understand
that the accident had been just that – a horrible and unintended consequence of
Matt’s actions.
Leaving the grocery store, Eric recognized Matt and walked towards
his truck. The guilt-ridden man wept as he handed Eric a condolence card he’d
just purchased. Two years of crushing guilt spewed out.
They hugged - one man saving souls, the other saving bodies.
They talked for hours. They became friends.
They remain close to this day, meeting regularly and often
spending time together during the holidays. They credit that chance meeting in
a parking lot as the key to letting them both heal from the loss and pain.
They view their relationship as a blessing from God, a
feeling cemented recently when Pastor Erik welcomed another child into his life
with a new bride. Their baby was born on the same due date as the unborn child
he and his first wife had been expecting.
Whenever we’re confronted with a choice between forgiveness
or resentment, we’re given the option to experience life’s beauty or the horror
of death. By holding on to anger, bitterness, and even hatred, we close ourselves
off to God’s mercy and grace. Yet by forgiving, we help another receive that
healing grace as well!
