It’s Good to Be Alive
Skillet Good To Be Alive lyrics – YouTube
I had a near-death experience last week without realizing it. Driving to the library after a mild rain, I came around a curve at 35 mph in a 30 mph zone. There must have been an oil spill on the road, because my car spun wildly in a full 360 degree angle. It kept spinning in another 180 degree turn as I struggled to stop the car, tapping the brakes and tugging on the steering wheel. Nothing worked. The back end hopped the curb and struck a lamppost, bouncing off it. While the driver’s front end smashed into a slim tree, denting its door inward.
Air bags had deployed but were torn. The car horn was blaring and wouldn’t shut off. The front windshield was cracked like a spiderweb. I sat in the car, stunned, with small chunks of glass littering my lap and the passenger seat. The driver’s door had crumpled so far inside that it nearly pinned my leg.
A man off the street opened my passenger door to ask if I was all right. He suggested I climb out if I could. Staring at the imploded door curving around my left thigh, I figured I should dial 911 instead and wait for paramedics to help me. Then it smelled like something was burning, so I gathered vital items into a bag, hoisted myself up, brushed glass bits off my lap, and carefully angled myself sideways over the glass chunks on the passenger seat.
A bystander had already called 911, and paramedics soon arrived to take me to the hospital. I felt fine, except for a stinging soreness in my left calf. And the fact that my wife and I have tons of bills to catch up on, and my plans for raising a lot of money over the next month as a rideshare driver just went up in smoke. I knew God had saved my from a freak accident, and that he would bring something good out of this. But what? And when would things ever get better for me and my family?
When all you got are broken dreams
Just need a second chance
And everything you want to be
Gets taken from your hands
X-rays later showed everything normal in my leg, though I still need to have a doctor or chiropractor check my neck and spine curvature after the whiplash.
However, when my sister-in-law saw pictures of the car that my wife took, she was shocked, glad that I wasn’t killed. Because it didn’t look like something anyone would walk away from.
She was right. Honestly, judging from the photos, I’m lucky to be alive.
This life could almost kill ya
When you’re trying to survive
It’s good to be here with ya
And it’s good to be alive
A favorite song of mine is “Good To Be Alive” by Skillet. It’s become one of my personal theme songs, for all the stress my family’s gone through over the last decade. Losing jobs, losing a house, losing friends and family, along with the recent house fire we suffered. The song reminds me that, in spite of the troubles we face, we can persevere through life, grateful to still be here to persevere.
I believe God protected me through this horrible disaster, and is even bringing good things out of it. The insurance settlement is much more than we expected to receive, and my car-smart brother found several inexpensive used vehicles we can buy, in a market where used cars have not been affordable.
On top of that, my wife just landed a dream job as a therapist where she can start counseling people every week, while earning a lot more income. God not only saved me from a near-death catastrophe, but is also positioning us to finally start getting ahead, after facing one crisis after another for nearly a decade.
Still, the fact that I could have died is sobering. We never know how many days or seconds we have left here on Earth. Since I’m still here, there must be more for me to do. For my family, my community, and the impact of my writing.
My favorite scene from “Superman: the Movie” is when Superman’s adoptive father tells him, “One thing I do know, son, is that you are here for a reason. I don’t know whose reason. Maybe it’s because … I don’t know. But I do know this. It’s not to score touchdowns.”
We’re not here for ourselves. We’re here to bless those around us, with whatever time and skills we have. You may not feel you have any talents or gifts to help others, but the biggest blessing we can provide to anyone is to simply be there. Spending time playing with kids. Being a listening ear and shoulder to cry on for someone who’s hurting. Offering someone a smile, a hug, or a laugh. Just being there makes a huge difference for others.
My sister-in-law told me she’s glad I’m still here. So am I. I lost my dad fifteen years ago, and my older brother in 2020. I would love to have another day to talk and laugh with them. Just for them to be here.
We hold on to each other
All we have is all we need
‘Cause one way or another
We always make it you and me
While we’re still here, let’s find ways to encourage and comfort others around us, in whatever they’re dealing with. We only have so much time to do it.
I don’t know what my future holds. But I’m thankful that I have a future and a purpose, and that my life matters – even just being here.
I went to the junkyard the other day to gather some other items stuck in my car. The representative who pulled up photos of my car gasped and said, “Wow. Thank God you’re alive.”
Yeah.
It’s good to be alive.
