It will appear again
A funny thing happened to my niece on the way to the New Year. She was feeling blessed as she, her husband, daughter, and two sons, Brother-in-law and niece, sat at a beautiful outside patio restaurant before celebrating the coming of the New Year. Life was good, and they were all happily chatting, while waiting for their food, looking out over the golf course. My niece suddenly felt a powerful blow to her arm, and while eating near a golf course, thought she had been struck by a ball. But realizing it was too dark that clearly wasn’t the case. Her arm started bleeding, and not knowing exactly what happened, her husband quickly pulled her around the corner to analyze her injuries, and also so the kids wouldn’t see the situation. It only took a moment for the restaurant staff to rally, surrounding her, as well as a former EMT who was dining at the restaurant, and it was quickly obvious to all that she had a bullet lodged in her arm. Her first thoughts were to get her family off the patio into safety, her second, (like most moms) thought of all the things she had on her schedule that may be interrupted by this mishap. Paramedics, police, and firemen were all at the restaurant assisting her in just a few minutes. Riding in the ambulance, heading to the ER, it was like a scene right out of Grey’s Anatomy, or CSI, hearing phrases like GSW, (gunshot wound), and ETA, and the patient is stable. Arriving at the ER she was rushed into X-ray. The bullet was in one piece, did not cut through any arteries and did not break the bone. She could still move her arm, wrist, fingers and hand, she was so lucky!
There were so many other ways this story could have gone. That bullet could have hit anyone on that patio, including the children. A few inches in any direction and the New Year could have come with one person missing. Evidently, some random shooter decided to celebrate the New Year by shooting up into the air. Not taking into consideration that what goes up, must come down. They probably thought shooting over a golf course would be relatively safe, we know how that turned out!
Happy ending to the evening, was she was released to go home and celebrate the New Year with her family, surgery being scheduled a couple of days later. Amazing! They really have a lot to celebrate, for God had his hand of protection on her and her family.
Considering what goes up, must come down, reminds us of the promise Jesus made to us when he went back to heaven. I will come again! Talk about something to celebrate! We should all spend time looking up, not for bullets to rain down, but for Jesus to come down to reign as King of Kings!
As parents we need to teach our children that life is a precious and precarious thing. It can be gone in a blink of an eye. Teach them to thank God daily for his many blessings and never to take the time we have with one another for granted.
We as writers we use weapons in our stories all the time, but rarely take the time to include safety lessons with their use. It is a good opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. (That was meant as a figure of speech, no pun intended!) It is and always should be considered serious business, the handling of any firearms.
I want to thank my niece for allowing me to share her story! Love you hon, and thank God you came through surgery okay!
And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Acts 9: 9-11
So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
Mark 16:19
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John 14:3-6