August 24th is "Alive Day" in our house. Particularly because I shouldn’t be. Even I am in disbelief that I survived such a terrible accident. I was out riding my bicycle on this morning six years ago. I would normally bike around 25 miles a day, and I was working on getting more miles in. That day I was hit by a car and thrown off my bike, ran over, and then backed over. My injuries were extensive. I was life flighted. There were a total of 26 broken bones, one that was millimeters from severing a major artery, organs damaged, flatlining on the table, and a whole lot of stitches. I should not be alive. I should not be walking. I should have died on this day six years ago. God allowed me to survive and even recover from most of my injuries. It was one of the hardest times of our families life, but I’m so thankful to be alive every day. Mary, my wife, is the strongest person that I have ever known. No one in my life will top how tough and resilient she was. If anyone knew what she went through after my accident they would be surprised. She was holding down the fort, all while 8 months pregnant with our second child Fynn and taking care of our two year old daughter Emmersyn. She had to keep going and so did I. She is an amazing mom, wife, and best friend. We don’t talk about the accident or the time of healing very much. It was hard. It was the hardest. It is a chapter we don’t want to re-live, but we are so thankful for the lessons we learned, and incredibly thankful to see God show up in miraculous ways. 

I wanted to share that we were at rock bottom physically, emotionally, and financially. Some days it felt like we were drowning. But then there were days that brought joy, laughter, and hope. The reason I am sharing this is to say that while we were in the bleakest spot of our life, God was faithful to us. He gave us an awesome church community, a few close and supportive friends, and loving family members who were there for us. You all know who you are, and we are forever grateful. It was (and still is) a long journey of healing, surgeries, counseling, and relationship fixing, nothing was beyond our Gods love and power. 

Life tried to take us out, but we made it through. We have our scars to prove it. I ask that wherever you are in your life or in your faith to not give up hope. God meets us where we are. Today I celebrate being alive and second chances!