2020 started with a bang, a really big bang!

Who could have imagined a year like 2020, I mean other than Spielberg and King. This has been a year when the phrase “are you kidding me?” has escaped the lips of every global citizen at least once. Anyone else out there waiting with baited breath as we inch toward the finish line of 2020? Insert your own hallelujah and amen here.

Well, my year started with a bang, a really big bang!

I was in a very bad car accident on February 2nd. A speeding vehicle hit me on the driver side of my vehicle while traveling on I275. The impact

pushed me over two lanes of traffic and into the guard wall. What was to be a simple Sunday afternoon, turned into an event I will never forget. Amazingly I was able to get out of the car and walk away from the wreckage. I was already in complete shock when I learned that the offending vehicle fled the scene. I had never experienced a mental breakdown until that day while on the side of I275 waiting for some cosmic punchline.

Every morning, I receive a devotional Bible verse from www.bibleleague.com that usually helps me navigate my day. That morning, I awoke to a Bible verse that introduced me the story of David and what seemed to be the tragedy of Ziklag (1 Samuel 30). The devotion didn’t provide the whole story, but what I read, I received and went about my day. I had no idea the impact this story would have for my day. If you don’t know the story, David and his men had just experienced a military victory aiding another city only to return home (Ziklag) to find their wives, children and livestock (possessions and livelihood) taken by another army while they were away. It took them all by complete surprise. I was taken completely by surprise.

Before the accident, had begun to feel lonely. I would take stock of the people in my life and ask myself questions like, “if I got married or died today, who would be there? Anyone?” But this accident taught me that when you are in need God provides in ways you could never imagine.

Two angels who witnessed the accident, ran to my aid and remained by my side, comforting me throughout the whole ordeal. These awesome Samaritans showed me love and compassion like I’ve never known from strangers. They called my mother, they retrieved some important items from my crashed vehicle, and one even followed me to the hospital and stayed with me. Let’s just say, if I were to ever have children, whether daughters or sons, they would be named Isabel, and Nataly.

If that weren’t enough, my mom came to the hospital, AT NIGHT! I realize that you couldn’t possibly understand why this was such a big deal. My mom does not travel at night and she does NOT cross the bridge from Pinellas County to Hillsborough County, but for me...she did.

Then, my other friend with whom I sing dropped what she was doing to be with me at the hospital. To see them both in my ER room swelled my heart and made my eyes sweat!

To top it all off, I was notified by highway patrol that the offending driver turned themselves in about an hour after the accident. As I mentioned, I had begun to feel lonely in my life, and this was like a beautiful kiss from God that started the healing process for this horrible experience.

As I was home recovering, the story of David came back to my mind. I realized that I hadn’t finished the story and I was desperate to learn how it ended. It turns out that God told David to take his men and go after what was stolen from them. He promised David that he and all of his men would recover everyone and everything taken and that they would lack nothing. Along the way God sent a helper, someone who knew exactly where to find the lost. I realized then by reading the whole story, that God had just given me a promise that I too would recover everything that was taken from me. He would also send me help along the way. Talk about praise and worship. I was so excited because I believed Him completely in that moment.

I never knew it was possible to laugh and cry uncontrollably at the same time. You can’t breathe, but you can absolutely laugh and cry simultaneously. I did my best to hold onto the story of David at Ziklag while enduring tests, missteps, and uncertainty. I reminded myself of how God fulfilled his promise to David as I hired an attorney, navigated insurance companies, and as I received my first subpoena to appear in court to testify against the driver.

If you don't know me then you don't know that I am a bit of a control freak in the sense that I like to have control. No other explanation needed. This accident showed me how little control I actually had/have. So, one major concern I had was how to get a new vehicle. Praise God my insurance company covered the cost of my totaled vehicle, but as for a new car, I was on my own. The challenge, at least in my eyes, was that I no longer had the job that could afford me the ability to walk into a dealership and say...”I’ll take that one!” I couldn’t see how I was going to able to finance another car...BUT GOD. In three weeks after the accident I was able to purchase a new car and it was less expensive than my other car. I still sit in awe of how everything happened, God took care of me. He also blessed me with my friend Pastor Cathy who stayed with me at the car dealership for 5 HOURS, as I made my new purchase.

I am so grateful for my friends and family who stood by my side, prayed for me, held my hand and endured my many crack ups! I would also like to thank the Tim Prugh Law Office, Geico and AFLAC Insurance, the medical staff and transport at St. Joseph's Hospital and the emergency rescue team that came to my aid that day.

I love to drive, however, I have yet to return to any major highways. I require some additional mental healing time, but I am determined to get back on the road. I have had this car for almost a year and it just reached 3500 miles. That being said, physically I am doing very well praise God.

From pandemic to politics, race relations to isolation we have been weathering storms that none of us could have imagined. 2020 has been a mind bender for us all. I hope to encourage anyone who is experiencing difficulty and seemingly unsurmountable challenges by saying: