Gratitude After a Car Accident

Stories of Hope in Hard Times

Tamara K. Anderson shares a personal story of a car accident and the lesson of gratitude she learned from reading her journal almost 20 years later.

I also share 3 lessons we can apply during this time of year and a family tradition.

Here is the transcription of today's episode:

0:01

Today I'm going to share with you a story of a car accident I was involved in, and I'm going to read you something from the little journal where I recorded about the car accident and something that really surprised me years later when I reread it. I'm also going to share with you a Thanksgiving tradition that we have in my family. Stay tuned.

0:27

Welcome to Stories of Hope in Hard Times, the show that explores how people endure and even thrive in difficult times.--all with God's help. I'm your host Tamara K. Anderson. Join me on a journey to find inspiring stories of hope and wisdom learned in life's hardest moments.

0:53

Hello, and welcome to another episode of Tamara's takeaways. I'm your host, Tamara Anderson. And today I'm going to tell you a story from my life. And I'm going to take you back in time, almost 20 years to a point when I had two young children. My oldest son Jordan was three years old, and my son Nathan had just barely turned two. And our family was getting ready to move from California where we had been living for the past almost four years to Bentonville, Arkansas, which was clear across the country and way far away from families since our family lives out west. And so we had an airplane flight booked to go and look for houses. And we had family that was going to come and watch our children while we did this. And on the way to the airport. We were involved in what should have probably been a deadly car accident along the freeway.

2:01

I was taken to the hospital, where I remained for the next week and a half healing from a myriad of injuries that included things like a broken collarbone, bruised and broken ribs collapsed and punctured lung, bruised heart fluid around my liver. And then just general aches and pains--whiplash after an accident. I was in pretty bad shape. The thing I had the most problems with was with my lung because it wouldn't stay reinflated I had to have a chest tube put in.

2:36

Anyway, what I wanted to tell you this story about today is because this is a month of gratitude November is. And I'm surprised when I go back I had a little tiny spiral bound notebook that I had started keeping a journal in back then. And it was probably only four inches by six inches big, super small. And I was just listing things that I was doing on a day to day basis. But as I look back on the accident, and I opened this little notebook up recently, I found in that notebook that when I wrote very (my handwriting is off because I had a broken collarbone) But when I wrote about the accident, the first thing I did after briefly describing the accident was not complain about hospital food. It wasn't saying about how I didn't sleep very well when I was at the hospital.

3:32

No, the first thing I wrote about were the things that I was grateful for--the miracles that I saw. And that kind of blew me away. I was really humbled and grateful looking back to see that even at a point in my life when things were extremely challenging, I was able to look back and see the miracles of it.

3:57

And so I'd love to read to you from my little journal. This is dated February 18, 2001. And it says, Here are the miracles:

Tamara's Journal Listing Miracles and Things to be Thankful for

1. The driver of the other car was not in it or else I doubt she would have lived her car crumpled like an accordion.
2. The engine of our car was thrashed, but nothing came and crushed us in the passenger area of the car. In fact, you could completely open my door which was good because the paramedics had to remove me.
3. The kids were not with us. I am so grateful they were spared. And I even to this day, I think back on the accident and think how thankful I am that they weren't with us because I'm sure it would have killed them.
4. We had Justin's mom and sisters coming down right as the accident was happening and my parents coming on the following Monday. So we had family help right there in town which was such a miracle because we lived at least three and a half hours from my in laws and least eight hour drive from my, my family. So it was a blessing we had family already planning on coming in town.
5. We weren't hit by any other cars after the accident happened. And this is such a miracle and such an amazing thing I'm grateful for since we went over into the next lane. An interesting side note I wrote here as I say, "we had prayed for protection before we left and the Lord spared us."
6. When I first arrived at the hospital, and got an unusual EKG, the doctors were quite concerned about my heart. I received a blessing (or a prayer over me) that evening and the next day they couldn't find anything wrong with my heart. It was truly a miracle from the Lord. I was promised a full recovery and that none of the damage done would be permanent. I'm humbled and grateful.
7. Justin was released that first night of the accident, he had a broken nose, bruises, cuts, stitches, aches and stuff. But I'm so grateful he wasn't hurt any worse. He has been able to help me.
8. The Lord has sent us many angels to help in this tragedy. My mother in law stayed with me the first night and I'm so grateful she did as I lost my cookies three times and needed a lot of help. Bless her heart, she even fed me. She took Nathan back to her home to stay with her for the next month.
9. I'm thankful for my parents. My mother stayed with me every night. She helped me so much my dad took care of Jordan. And it's been fun to see him grow into the role of father or grandfather. And then my parents ended up taking Jordan home because they knew that neither Justin or I could take care of them.
10. I'm thankful that so many people have been praying for us, both in our home congregation, in my in laws congregation in my parents, congregation and all of our family and friends nationwide. I'm so humbled. This is why the Lord is blessing and healing us. The power of prayer is a mighty tool. Nothing is too great for the Lord. miracles do happen today."

7:24

And I'm sorry if I get a little teary when I read that to you, it brings back so many amazing thoughts and memories and feelings. But even now, as I look back on that car accident, I can't help but be thankful for the miracles that--first of all I didn't die. But that I was able to see the miracles and not see all things that were difficult.

7:50

In fact, there's three things I'd love to share with you that I've learned by rereading my own account of this.

Lessons Learned

1. Look for things to be thankful for. There are things you can be thankful for no matter how dire your situation, and being thankful changes the whole experience.
2. The second thing I learned from this is it's important to write those things down. Write them down on a piece of paper and a little notebook like I did, because you will forget, you will forget.
3. And then the third thing you should do is share the things that you're thankful for. And as you share them, it helps inspire gratitude in others. And that's part of the reason that I do this podcast is is to inspire hope to inspire gratitude in other people.

8:40

Invitation

So, no matter what your circumstance has been with this crazy pandemic this year, there are still things we can find to be thankful for and write those things down. And then I invite you this Thanksgiving to write a text or an email, or call somebody and tell them something that you are thankful for. And it can even be that you're thankful for them and their positive influence in your life. So share your gratitudes this holiday season.

9:07

I'd like to close today's episode sharing the Thanksgiving Psalm. When I was a young girl in kindergarten, I memorized this psalm because I went to a Christian school. And I'd love to share it with you. It's become part of the Klein family and Anderson family tradition to read Psalm 100 every year right before we say the Thanksgiving blessing. And even though I will not be spending Thanksgiving with a lot of family, just my immediate and close family, my husband and our children, This is still a beautiful time to be thankful to God.

9:49

Bible Thanksgiving Psalm

Here it is Psalm 100. "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before his presence was singing. Know ye that the Lord He is God. It is He that hath made us and not we ourselves. We are his people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. Be thankful unto Him and bless His name. For the Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endureth to all generations."

10:22

And so that is my wish for you today that you have gratitude, which will then bless you with hope. Hope on my friends.

10:33

Hey, thanks so much for listening to today's show. I know that there are many of you out there that are going through a hard time and I hope you found things that have been useful today, as you listen to the podcast. If you would like to access the show notes from today's podcast, visit my website. That is stories of hope podcast.com. That is where you'll find favorite quotes from today's episode, and shareable means and those are fun because you can share them with your friends on social media. You will also find the links mentioned throughout today's episode, so you don't have to remember what those were. And also all the tips that were shared. Sometimes tips are shared so much throughout an episode you forget. What were those great things. So go to the show notes, stories of hope podcast calm to look up these fantastic resources. You know, if someone kept coming to mind during today's episode, perhaps that means that you should share this with them. Maybe there was a story shared or a tip that they really really need to hear. So go ahead and share this episode with them. May God bless you, especially if you're struggling with hope to carry on and with the strength to keep going when things get tough. Remember to walk with Christ and He will help bear that burden. Above all else, Remember God loves you.