Picture this: It was our first full day in India and we were coming back from the mall. Katie, Jess, Makita, and I piled into a tuktuk (also called an auto or bajaj; all names for a small three-wheeled motorcycle cart that acts as a taxi). Katie was in front next to the driver and the rest of us were in the back seat. We weaved in and out of traffic, past cars, trucks, and other tuktuks. After navigating the busy Indian highway, we made it to the side streets of Hyderabad. We directed the driver toward our hostel, pointing straight ahead so he understood. Everything seemed to be great; we had managed to find our way back home without getting lost!
But as we drove through the final intersection, everything changed. Time slowed down as I watched a white car slam into us and send us tumbling to the ground. Next thing I know, I was screaming. The pain in my foot was excruciating. My right foot was stuck under the flattened tuktuk!
I don’t remember a lot of what happened next. I do know that the tuktuk was finally off my foot and upright again. I was driven down the block to a clinic. My foot was pounding and I had a bunch of people around me. My squadmates comforted me and even held my head while I passed out from the pain. And eventually, I got some painkillers in me and everything settled down.
The doctors at the clinic sent me to the hospital to get x-rays because they thought my foot was fractured. After taking x-rays and waiting a couple of hours, I got the amazing news that my foot was totally fine; no fracture! They wrapped my swollen and bruised foot, told me to stay off of it for a week, and sent me on my way.
Now you may be wondering where the casualty I mentioned in the title comes in. Yes, I did really hurt my foot, but the casualty I’m referring to is not a physical casualty. The casualty was all the lessons I learned from this crash and how my self-reliant attitude was wrecked.
The first thing I learned from this crash was how to rely on other people for support. I have a confession: I don’t like asking for help or accepting help and I never want to feel like a burden. I have always been pretty self-sufficient and independent and I like being in control of everything. This caused some problems when I was physically unable to walk on my foot and I had no access to crutches.
At first I tried hopping everywhere I went, but finally I had to accept the help that was offered to me. Over the course of the next couple days I was carried on people’s backs, pushed around in wheel chairs, carried up the stairs, and was served in so many ways by people who wanted to help me and support me. That was so humbling. The Lord gave me great friends who supported me and served me. He showed me that He has provided me with people to rely on and I don’t have to go through anything without support!
I also learned a lot about relying on the Lord. When I found out my foot wasn’t fractured, I was in awe of the Lord’s greatness! God protected all of us in the accident and it should have been way worse than it was. The other girls had some scrapes and bruises and the driver’s arm was sore, but we were all okay! I could have landed on my arm or hit my head, but I didn’t! I learned that even though the world can be dangerous, I don’t have to be afraid because I can rely on a God to protect me!
After this accident, I really had to lean into dependence. I had to depend on my friends to provide me support because I physically could not do it all myself. The Lord has given me community for this reason and it is up to me to allow them to serve me and love me. And more importantly I need to rely on God for everything! His provision is perfect and relying on Him and trusting Him is the only way to live!
