...For almost a month, I've been putting off writing on this blog. I knew what my topic would be and even how to write it, but just didn't feel like I could. I'll get back to the "why" I didn't write in a minute. First, let me tell you about last week...
Did you ever see those movies with the following plot?... a bunch of high school friends wind up getting back together in their hometown for the funeral of one of their classmates...
Last week, something terrible happened. An old high school friend died in a racing accident in Knoxville, Iowa. His name was Chad McDaniel. I hadn't really talked to Chado in a few years, but thought I should attend his funeral. We played sports together growing up. You know the usual stuff like football and baseball, things most kids growing up in Rural Kansas do! His dad was usually our bus driver to most of those games too! At least the school sponsored ones.
There were so many people who attended his funeral! It was more like the plot of that movie only it wasn't a movie. The funeral turned into more of a class reunion. I don't know how many times I heard someone else say, "It's so good to see you. Just wish the circumstances were better." I found myself saying it as well. Everyone sort of congregated at the American Legion after the funeral. I looked over and saw Eugene McDaniel (Chad's Dad) standing in the middle of the room. He was by himself for just a moment and we looked at each other. That's when it really hit me...
What I have been avoiding writing on this blog happened about a month ago. It was an awesome day! Our family was heading over to Anthony Ks. for the hot air balloon festival on May 9th to pass out water bottles for our church (Life 180). Michelle and Emme were in the truck and going to follow CT and I. We were on the motorcycle. CT is my 3 year old son who loves to do everything that I do and visa-versa! He is my best bud! We got all padded and helmeted up! We were biker dudes for sure and he rides cradled between me and the tank.
About ten minutes later driving down the highway, I noticed that his boot was about to slip off. I tried to put it back on but couldn't so I decided to pull over. I slowed down and glanced to see that the boot was gone. When I looked back up, I had crossed the white line and was a couple of feet in the grass of a sloping wet ditch. I knew right then that we were in trouble and knew that I couldn't get right back on the highway without hitting the lip of the pavement and loosing it for sure. So, I decided to gently slow down and stay where I was at the edge of the ditch. At about 45 MPH, I felt the back tire slip and we skidded through the ditch for about 35 yards on our left side.
My first thought was that I had killed my beautiful son! My leg was pinned under the cycle and somehow I managed to lift the bike off of me. CT's eyes were so huge and when he noticed me over him trying to see if he was OK, he began to cry. Somehow, we were both OK! God wasn't done with either of us yet. By some miracle, we only had some minor scrapes. We were both more scared than anything, and what could have happened scares me even more.
For the past four weeks I put off writing about that or anything else for that matter. Then, I locked eyes with Eugene McDaniel at his son's funeral! How could a father lose a son and continue to go on? What if there had been a fence post, road debris or trees? Anything could have been in our path as we skidded to a halt on that motorcycle.
I don't know why God chose that we should live that day or why Chado died in that crash. I don't know why my son lived while Eugene's son died. It sounds like such a cliche, but I know that I know God's plan is at work all the time...in everything... He uses all things for good, even when and especially when we don't understand or see it.
Rest High Chado.
~Fahring
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