The
gymnasium was deathly quiet, though it was filled to the rafters with Junior
and Senior high school students. Moments before, with the utterance of a single
sentence, the air had gone out of the room, leaving behind only stunned
silence.
It was
the second day of the “Every 15 Minutes” program at Simi Valley High School, a
program intended to make the students aware of the dangers of drunk driving. The first day was a simulation of an
alcohol-related accident involving students from the school.
"Every 15
Minutes" is an educational experience
which drives home the reality of the dangers associated with driving while
impaired. The
crash was staged, but the emotions were real!
Today was the wrap-up session. Everyone who had
“died” or been injured in the simulation the day before had been miraculously
brought back to life and fully restored.
The day before I had been shadowing a Police
Chaplain. Today I was sitting in the back row of the guest seating on the gym
floor, thinking about how physically unforgiving metal folding chairs could be.
The speaker was relating the story of her best
friend – a friend whose “drinking career” had begun in high school and had
gradually escalated even as she worked multiple jobs, pursued a successful
career, and raised two children.
Things were going well for her friend. She was
careful to mask her drinking habits and never drove herself home from parties.
One morning however, after a party, she realized she had neglected to pick up
her children. “She grabbed her keys and headed out the door.”
Suddenly pictures of a totaled SUV flashed on the
screen. “My friend woke up in the hospital, not able to remember how she had gotten
there,” the speaker said with tears streaming down her face. “She found out
from the medical staff she had been in a serious accident,” she continued.
“And then she found out another person had been
killed in the accident – an accident she had caused.” The gym got quiet. The
speaker choked back another sob. “I know this story about my friend is true,”
she continued, speaking through the tears. “Because the friend I’ve been
telling you about, the friend who drove drunk and killed another person… was me!”
Every once in a while, when a Lottery Jackpot
rises to the mega millions, I am inclined to buy some tickets. I justify my
greed by telling myself, “With that much money I could really do some good in
the world.” It’s easy to convince ourselves we could really make a difference
if only we had more time, greater talent, or abundant treasure.
It is difficult, perhaps nearly impossible, for
any of us to believe that our brokenness or personal tragedies have value; that
God could use the worst days of our lives, those moments of epic failure, for
good.
God does not cause them to happen, but in our
darkest hours God still cares for us. He can take our humanity, our failures,
and use them in ways completely beyond our expectation.
This is not simply a question of a “comeback” or
our surviving the event. There are many stories of those who have rebounded
from failures or underdogs who became successes. But it takes a loving and
involved Creator to use the worst parts of our lives to positively affect the
lives of others. The speaker’s personal tragedy became a means by which the
lives of others might be transformed.
No one can ever measure the number of lives
changed or saved by the speaker on that day. The tragedies of life are not
gifts from God, nor created by Him. We are the ones who create tragedy in the
world. But what God does with those tragedies, through us, can become miracles.
Dear God: Remind me that no matter what, I am
valuable to you.
“Behind
every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic.” ~Oscar Wilde,
Irish poet, dramatist, novelist and critic (1854-1900)
©2012
James E. Carper. All rights reserved.
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