The Bible tells us that we are just like dust in the wind; our time here is very short. I recently experienced an accident that showed me just how true this is.

Before my accident, I was not really living for God, I was living for myself. School, work and the American dream came first. I know that if this was true for me, it may be true for others. If we have been Christians for a while, we can easily forget the price that was paid for us. We can get caught up in our own world, instead of God's world. But our God is a jealous God.

The night of the accident was very weird. I was going to stay home, but I wanted an educational CD from a friend at work. I had to walk to work because of sin in my past: Not taking care of my finances , not taking advice from the brothers God put in my life to help me. The year 2000 for some may have been great but for me it was a time of great spiritual difficulty. I wasn't happy, I was blaming God for nothing happening in my life. I was not sharing my true feelings or giving my insight to help others. I was thinking only of self. Then the accident.

I remember being hit. It felt like the world around me was in slow motion. I felt no pain. I remember trying to get up and a friend from work holding me and telling me to lay down because there was so much blood. At the time I didn't know that my right leg was hanging off and the bone was coming through the skin. My pelvic bone was broken in three places. But even at my worst God still loved me and I was spared pain, I felt nothing. To get a better understanding of how hard I was hit, you need to know that the truck was going 45 to 55 mph. I was hit so hard that my pelvic bone was knocked away from my spine. I caused over $3,000 worth of damage to an all-metal truck. I flipped into the air, hit the windshield, bounced off of it and then hit the pavement. Laying there on the pavement, all I could think about was how much I loved God and my family. I was very scared, not of dying, but of not having another chance to get back in the fight. I was happy that I had had the chance to tell Karen and our kids I loved them before I left for work. I knew Karen would be especially scared because she lost both parents in a car accident.

Then, the hospital: I've never had to have anyone bathe me, take me to the bathroom, etc. In that situation, you wonder a lot about whether or not you're going to make it, or if you're going to be paralyzed. I had to have two metal plates put in my pelvis, fifteen screws and a long metal bar in my right leg. I learned so much from being in the hospital. God knew exactly what I needed in order to change my prideful heart. God helped me see that he loves me by sending brothers and sisters to see me, pray for me and help my family. When pride is in your heart, you don't want any help, but in this situation I had no choice but to accept God's help and let other people help me. I couldn't do much of anything but open my eyes. God made it so that I had to surrender to him and take the help and have the faith.

This experience changed my life. Through all this I see how much my wonderful wife Karen and my kids Ronnie, Jacqulene and Miya had to step up. We got to meet some really great people. We increased our contribution by half, totally on faith, even though I'm on disability. God worked everything out. I thank God for continually helping me to go above and beyond and to grow more. The day before the accident I had a job offer at a software company for $65k a year. American dream, new home, car, etc. But God had other plans. God took what was on my heart first and made sure that he was first.

If there's anything I would like to see everyone do who reads this, it's to trust and embrace God, and not make him jealous. Put him first. That's the Christian American dream. As you read this, ask yourself these questions: Have I been open? Have I trusted God? Do I believe that God can change my life? We are not promised tomorrow. Make every effort today to make these the best days of your life.

Special thanks to My wife and family, Karen, Jacqulene, Ronnie, and Miya, and to Mike and Trish Rehban, Steve and Bonnie Stevenson, and everyone who had me in their prayers.