"Thicker Than Water"...

I have been wrestling with this for a few days now........whether to write about it or not.
It isn't completely my story to tell.
She wants me to teach her how to do the blogging thing, so I should leave this incident alone and let her have a full crack at it. Yet, it was dramatic for me as well.
I can't stop thinking about it all. So, I don't think she will mind.
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As I was packing up the classes on Sunday, my cell phone rang. I recognized the ringtone as being "Wow". "Cool" I thought. "But I'll call her back in a minute since my hands are full." Then my phone beeped signaling that I had a voice mail and a smile crept across my face. She was probably calling to say let's ditch the whole guy thing and hang out for the afternoon.

It wasn't her though. It was her cycle riding partner.
I heard these words.....collision.....helmet split in half.....ambulance.....Emmanuel Hospital.....

As my heart went into my throat, I raced outside to get better reception and call him back. I was in control. Panicing doesn't serve a purpose . I just needed more information than that.
He said, a car did not hit her. She was fine and talkative, laughing with the EMTs.....just like her to hamm it up and aleviate the tension. They were riding along the river and enjoying the day, going about 18 mph when she simply lost a good hand hold and flipped.

I spent the next couple of hours going to get her daughter and depositing all of our girls (4 of them that day) with my husband. "Merry" is like my own daughter, but once I knew she was being brave and strong.....all I wanted to do was get to the hopsital.

5 staples and 3 stiches to the back of her head, and I was allowed to take her home. As I was driving, she shared with me how amazing God is. She had been riding for close to 6 months with her helmet chin strap so loose that the gear really served no purpose. That very morning though, she had a few precious extra minutes before straddling her bike, so she decided to tighten everything down.
How amazing is that? That simple act meant the difference between her current state and probably weeks in ICU. That was no mere coincidence or lucky fluke. That was directly from an amazing and omniscient God

As I walked through that day thinking about it all and in the days following, I have been struck fresh with how important she is in my life. I have thought about how quickly everything can change....and it always does when you aren't looking for it. I have thought about the old saying "Blood is thicker that water". I don't know where it came from, but she and I have proved time and again that is not the case with us.
Heart is thicker than anything.