The Walking Miracle

The impact was like an explosion. Stopped in construction traffic, my niece, Kiersten, was rear ended by a truck doing 80 mph and then struck by a second driver doing about 75. The jarring was so severe it pulverized the C7 vertebrae in her neck. There was no way to repair it.

But God had other plans. The first miracle occurred before the crash even happened. Because Kiersten was stopped and waiting on construction, she had pulled out a large map. That map blocked the glass shards from the windshield and shielded my niece and her passenger. The miracles that unfolded in the seconds and minutes after impact saved Kiersten's life. Three people converged on her car in just seconds and included a mechanic, nurse and off-duty ambulance driver.

The mechanic assured the gas tank was intact and that no one needed to moved immediately. The nurse calmed my niece while taking vitals and the EMT stabilized her and kept her from moving her neck. Later during surgery to install a donor bone and cage to replace the missing vertebrae, the doctors found bone fragments within millimeters of her spinal cord. Had Kiersten been helped by less experienced people, she would have been paralyzed for life or worse. Seven days later she walked out of the hospital unassisted.

This was the second miracle (at least that I’m aware of) in my niece’s life. The first was her birth. My sister’s uterus ruptured during delivery and Kiersten’s arm was caught in the tear. They both came very close to dying. But God had other plans. Both made full recoveries.

We live in a fallen world where bad things happen to good people. However, we also know that God has numbered our days. We see this in Psalm 139:16, “Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed, and in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.” God has a unique plan for each one of our lives. He saw that plan when He formed us in our mother’s womb.

The enemy wants to hurt us, but God has other plans to bring good out of what the enemy meant for harm. This promise comes from Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Kiersten now works at her local 911 dispatch office, helping those calling in during traumatic situations, calming and encouraging while help is dispatched.

What are you facing today? You may not see how God is bringing good out of your current situation. But God does the impossible. Cling to Deuteronomy 31:8, “And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave your nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” You are not alone!

If you have a miracle story, consider sharing it in the comments below. I know it will encourage others, just as Kiersten’s story does. Her testimony has blessed and encouraged many others and yours will too.