perspectives

Perspective

Getting hit by an 18-wheeler stinks. Getting hit by the same 18-wheeler twice SUCSK! Trust me when I say this. I found this out from experience a few days ago. Having to deal with insurance to get repairs, medical bills, etc taken care of is not fun either, in case you were wondering. I don’t think anyone is going to argue with the above statements. Most people won’t argue with this statement either: I was lucky and am very lucky. Being rear ended by an 18-wheeler on the interstate is not a very fun thing to do at all. It is quite painful, actually.
After being hit by the 18-wheeler, I walked away with what basically is amounting to whiplash (I haven’t been diagnosed officially yet…). I am LUCKY! I am so blessed that I do not have any broken bones, that I did not hit the car ahead of me when I was hit and had to swerve, or even worse be killed. I am lucky that I have whiplash. Anyone who has had whiplash is probably saying yea right it hurts. And they would be absolutely right; whiplash is painful. One of the great things about having whiplash though: I get to offer it up! I am able to take my suffering (both minor and major) from the whiplash and offer it up for the souls in Purgatory. Remember, we are purified in our sufferings. Jesus purified our souls by his suffering on the Cross. Why can’t we purify another or even ourselves by suffering and offering it up to God?
People looking at the damage done to my car will so holy cow, or something much worse… I mean a Cavalier is not made to take the impact of an 18-wheeler especially one going over 45 miles per hour. If you think it is, sorry you’re wrong. Regardless of the fact that my trunk is smashed in several inches, that my bumper is cracked, that my doors are bowed, or the fact that my car is probably totaled. I am lucky. I have insurance for the car. This is why I pay that money every month to State Farm. They can take care of getting my car fixed, if the other guy’s insurance doesn’t. If State Farm doesn’t fix my car, no big deal. They give me money for my car and I make a down payment on another, newer vehicle. This would be one that I would get to choose. Sure I would now have a car note, which would cost me several hundred dollars a month. But that’s all good. I would have a vehicle that I would choose and I can afford to pay for it. Plus, new car smell is really cool J. Dealing with the insurance isn’t fun though. It’s a very tedious and trying process. Pray that you do not have to deal with them like I am doing.
How do the people viewing this as lucky or not differ? They differ by their perspective of the event. The people saying “oh poor Darion” are focusing on this world. They are worried about me being injured, the car being damaged, etc. They are focusing on the negative side of life. They are not rejoicing in all of our gifts. The people that are saying how lucky I am are the ones with the right attitude. They are having a positive view on life. Life is all about what we make it. Many times there are events we have no control over, ie my wreck. Other times there are events we can control. One of these things that we can control is our outlook on life. Is the glass half empty or half full? While such a simple question, there are profound implications by the answer.
Do we thank God for the blessings we have received? Do we focus on what we do not have? Do we blame God for our bad times? Do we fail to see God’s Hand working in our lives? Are we looking at the world with our prideful personalities? Are we willing to sacrifice? Are we willing to say fiat? Are we happy? Are we miserable? These questions can help guide us into finding a happier life, as long as we are willing to work and remember that God is in charge. Life is what you make of it. I want to be remembered as a happy person who loved life. What about you?


God,
Grant me the SERENITY
to accept the things I can not change.
The COURAGE
to change the things I can,
And the WISDOM
to know the difference. Amen