Happy Accidents

If you were to assemble a list of adjectives to describe me, I’m sure “anxious” would be at the top of the list. I’m a master when it comes to blowing things out of proportion in my mind, easily caught up in “what if’s” and “if only’s.” And this week seemed destined to go down in the record books in terms of anxieties and worries.

As the Good Book says, “anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.” In my case, that “good word” was a car accident. Nothing major, but thanks to Lincoln’s icy streets, I found myself in a bit of a fender-bender. Thankfully, noone was hurt; the only injuries may come in the form of increased insurance.

But the whole incident did do well to snap me out my funk and put me back in a proper alignment. Striking another car on ice-covered streets will do that to you. You wrestle for control, and then, in those final seconds, you realize there’s nothing you can do, and everything gets surreal and peaceful. I’m surprised at how calm I am over the whole thing, and thankful that it was nowhere near as bad as it could’ve been.

How about that? A car accident teaches a brooding bundle of anxieties a lesson about peace and perspective. Who says God doesn’t have a sense of humor?