Look what God has done

The following is the e-mail Jamie sent out six days after the accident:

For anyone who is not aware our youth group was traveling up to youth camp in New York on March 2nd and April was in a serious car accident.  The pick-up truck she was traveling in was following our church bus, towing our luggage, and moving at about 60 mph when they hit a semi truck (near Albany, New York) that was backing up in the right lane of the highway.  April, our son Malachi, and our dear friends Russ and Allison Highton were all in the truck.  Malachi and Russ came away from the accident without any significant injuries.  Allison is home now with some bad bruises and some cuts to her face.  She is in the process of healing from damage done to her eyes.  Russ said that the doctors told him that there is a 99% chance of full recovery for her eyes.  Allison is pregnant and her baby is completely fine.  We are praising God with them.

In light of the fact that April’s head was wedged between the roof of the truck, that had crumpled down, and the back window of the truck, she is doing wonderful.  We want to ask you to make her healing a matter of prayer, trusting God to do what He wills and continuing to pray for a full recovery.  Right now missing Grace and Malachi is wearing on her and she is looking forward to going home.  Physically, she has a fracture in one of the vertebrae (this will heal on its own with time), a basal skull fracture or fracture in the lower rear of her skull (this will heal on its own with time), a perforated eardrum and displaced inner ear bones on the left side (the eardrum will heal and the bones will most likely recover, but she may need to have a surgical procedure to get those bones back in place).  There are a number of fractures along the right side of her face, from the temple down to the upper jaw (this may need surgery over the next few weeks, they won’t know for sure until the swelling goes down).  She also had a cerebro spinal fluid leak from her ear because the lining between her skull and her brain was torn from a contusion (basically her head had some major trauma), but this has stopped leaking.  Due to all of the swelling and the trauma there is nerve damage causing paralysis or palsies in her eyes and to the right side of her face (they have said that this will “most likely” heal with time, but nothing is certain about nerve damage).

With all of this going on April is in high spirits and continues to praise our Lord Jesus!  So here are the lyrics to the song that have been ringing in April’s head since the accident:

There is an endless song, Echoes in my soul, I hear the music ring

And though the storms may come, I am holding on, To the rock I cling

How can I keep from singing Your praise

How can I ever say enough, How amazing is Your love

How can I keep from shouting Your name

I know I am loved by the King

And it makes my heart want to sing

I will lift my eyes, In the darkest night, For I know my Savior lives

And I will walk with You, Knowing You’ll see me through

And sing the songs You give

I can sing in the troubled times, Sing when I win, I can sing when I lose my step

And fall down again, I can sing cause You pick me up, Sing cause You’re there

I can sing cause You hear me Lord, When I call you in prayer

I can sing with my last breath, Sing for I know

That I’ll sing with the angels, And the saints around the throne

-Chris Tomlin

April says she is very thankful at this point to be able to see and hear from at least one side and that she can give a half of a smile, but we are praying for a full recovery and asking you to continue to pray with us.  April says, “Up until Friday of the accident I was debating whether to go on the trip.  I made a list of pros and cons and was making a logical decision.  Thursday night I decided to pray about it and felt a peace about going to snow camp.  I felt God repeatedly saying ‘come away with me’.  Friday when I woke up, the words ‘come away with me’ were resounding in my head, so I felt confident about going and using this time as a retreat with God.  I wasn’t anticipating a journey like this.  But, now I am humbled to think that God entrusted me with the opportunity to bring Him glory by how I respond to this situation.  At times I have felt a bit frustrated and sad, but in the big picture I feel blessed and honored that God would find me worthy of being a vessel to bring Him glory.  I have already heard some amazing reports of how God is using this situation.  My biggest prayer request is that I don’t forget how I am feeling now and that I will continue to see the big picture – the only picture that matters – because we are eternal and what happens here is a small detail in the eternal picture.  To become focused on my pain is silly when taking that bigger picture into account.  I just want Jesus to be glorified!!!”