I can honestly say that God came to me in a car accident. One night in November of 2005, God saved me in a car accident and changed my life forever. In fact, I saw the bright light of God, and it surrounded my car accident, saving me. To be clear, the car accident was a metaphor for my life and my relationship with God.
Up to this point, I was trying to control the steering wheel of my life, and I wasn’t steering it in the right direction. Indeed, God controls the steering wheel of my life, and it is told in this story below.
My Life 15 Years Ago
I was raised Catholic and attended 12 years of Catholic grade school and high school. I went to church with my parents and siblings almost every Sunday. As the years progressed, I found myself drifting more and more away from God. Does this sound familiar?
In 2005, God saved me and brought me back to him.
In the early 2000s, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life or where I wanted to go. With no real clarity or direction, I found myself drifting through life. My relationships with people were up and down, they would come and go.
By 2005 I was 29 years old, lonely, and looking for companionship. My friends were getting married and starting to do amazing things personally and professionally. Above all, I was still trying to find myself.
One of my co-workers introduced me to someone she knew. The woman she introduced me to was lonely and looking for companionship as well. From the start, I knew this was not going to be a good relationship. However, I ended up staying in this relationship for all the wrong reasons.
Agonizing over this relationship for several months, I knew it needed to end. After everything we went through together, I knew this was going to end badly, and, sure enough, it did. After the relationship ended, I reflected on my past relationships. It was through this reflection that I realized something important. I’d been involved with the wrong women (for me). I needed direction and I needed to mature.
The Car Accident
A few weeks after the breakup, my ex-girlfriend asked to meet with me. She wanted to have ‘closure’ in the relationship. We met at a bar/restaurant and had a few drinks. As a result, she became very intoxicated. I knew she couldn’t drive home. Therefore, I offered to drive her to my home so she could be safe.
We were driving to my place. About 10 minutes away from my home, she wanted me to turn the car around. Arguing ensued in the car. Next, she grabbed the steering wheel and pulled it towards her. Undoubtedly, this physical action changed the course of my life forever.
It is important to realize that in this moment, we were driving 70 mph on the expressway.
After that, the car swerved into the next lane, almost hitting another vehicle. Seeing that the car was about to smash into another vehicle in the far lane, I grabbed the steering wheel back and pulled it towards my side.
Concurrently, we fought for control of the wheel and I ended up losing control of the car. All of a sudden, we were off the expressway and on the grass, headed down a hill towards a big tree.
The Bright Light of God in the Car Accident
The car was off the expressway and headed for disaster. Without a doubt, I remember seeing a bright light that surrounded us and it came inside the car. A feeling of peace cascaded over me for a brief second or two, which seemed to last an eternity. At that moment, I was not afraid of death.
The next thing I remember, the car was flipping and we were upside down. The car slid down a small hill, right in front of that big tree. I remember hanging upside down, hearing voices from people who pulled over to help. They were yelling to stay inside, help was on the way.
I remember thinking there was no way I wanted to stay hanging suspended, upside down, inside a car that was still running. Without reservation, we both crawled out of the car. The ambulance arrived essentially by the time we got to our feet. Taken by ambulance to the hospital, we both ended up with relatively minor injuries at the time. Needless to say, I think we both got ‘closure’ in that relationship.
Days, weeks, and years after the car accident, I still think about the bright light. Sometimes I wish I could go back to that very brief second or two just to experience that overwhelming feeling of peace. My car accident was 100% terrible. However, the bright light made the car accident 100% pure bliss.
The Aftermath from the Car Accident
Undoubtedly, my life changed from that point. I entered a dark depression along with a deep anxiety, followed by feelings of guilt, grief, and pain. And, to make matters worse, I was diagnosed with PTSD. I was afraid to drive a vehicle again for some time. After months of psychological and physical therapy, I reached a point where I was ready to move on.
Through this experience, I received a physical, emotional, and financial pain. However, I also received a magical rebirth. I finally understood that I had to go through this awful experience of pain to find God again. Even though He was always in my life, He was not always at the center of my life.
I began to realize the car accident started my faithful life journey back to God. I started praying and meditating more. Likewise, I felt a calling to attend Catholic and Christian churches again. I found what I was missing. The love that Jesus has for me never stopped, He forgives and will always welcome me back home to his loving arms.
In truth, I should have died in that car accident. I was inches away from my death. There is no doubt in my mind that God saved me in my car accident. After the car accident, while recuperating at home, I remember receiving an overwhelming amount of support from co-workers and friends.
One co-worker left me a voice mail message I will never forget. She said, “Boy, God is not done with you yet.” Her message sustained me during that time. Furthermore, it still resonates with me today. I realized I was meant to do something or be somebody that I have yet to know or find.
Boy, God is not done with you yet!
God Controls the Steering Wheel of our Life
The following year, I found my true soul mate. Subsequently, we got married, and now, she and I have two beautiful boys and a wonderful family. Above all, I finally felt like I grew up. God saved me in a car accident and put me through hell on a long journey back to him. I guess it was the only way to get through to me. LOL.
God controls the steering wheel of our lives.
God saved me in a car accident, there is no doubt about it. The fact that we were both struggling for control of the steering wheel is ironic. As shown above, we don’t control the steering wheel of our lives. God controls the steering wheel of our lives. He steered my car to safety that night, into a bright light where everything is calm and glorious.
Trying to Overcome the Scars
To this day, I still struggle with depression and anxiety. I don’t think that will ever go away completely. To this end, I have to work on my depression and anxiety every day. Just like exercising or eating healthy, I also have to work each day on my mental health.
The car accident injured my back. I had to go through a lot of physical therapy. To this day, my back has never been quite the same. And, other emotional triggers still haunt me from that night. As a result, I easily fall back into old patterns of guilt, fear, and self-pity.
Although the car accident woke me up spiritually and even intellectually, it harmed me mentally and physically. The worst scar from all of this is my ongoing battle with depression and anxiety. I consider myself to be no different than anyone else. There are good days and bad days. There are good moments and bad moments. But overall, I am alive and I have a lot to be thankful for that God has provided for me.
Why Now?
These last few weeks, I have felt an immense feeling to write this story and start this blog. I believe this blog is meant to help people in some way. I’m not sure exactly how this is going to happen or what will come next. Nevertheless, I am putting my faith in God of what He wants me to write.
Why start my blog with a car accident story?
Let’s be honest, we all lose faith every day in ourselves, other people, or certain situations. When I lose my faith, I go back to my car accident and what it miraculously did for me. The car accident continues to restore my faith in my life journey, even if it is sometimes for a second or two.
Overall, whenever I am challenged or feeling I just can’t get over the hump, I remember the light and the car accident. I remain faithful to my life journey, believing that God has something planned for me or wants me to do something important with my life. As a result, He has given me my wife and kids. If I died that night, I never would have experienced them.
In essence, I need to remember that life is a journey….a faithful journey. And, in that journey, I need to have faith that God will always steer me back into the light.
Have you had a near-death experience, a transformation, or just want to leave a comment? If so, visit my contact page.
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To see other stories of “seeing the light”, I found a good article here at Brain World Magazine.
Trauma Survivors Network
A great resource for anyone that has experienced trauma is the Trauma Survivors Network. You can see my story on their website located at https://www.traumasurvivorsnetwork.org/pages/survivor-stories.