Faith and Strength

 This beautiful girl was in a VERY serious car accident 2 weeks ago.

Duncan called at 6:00 a.m. to let us know and ask if I could pick up Kristin from the airport at 8:00 a.m. and take her up to Brigham City. From there her sister who lives in Logan would pick her up and continue up the I-15 to Idaho Falls where Kay was in ICU.

They were contacted in Arizona at 2:00 in the morning and informed of Kay's accident. She had spent the weekend in Logan visiting cousins and was driving with someone she found on the ride-share board back to Rexburg.

Kay had a broken back, a fractured eye (orbit?) and a serious concussion.  Fortunately, the driver was unhurt. He was able to assist Kay and call for help. And more importantly, had the training to know not to move her from the back seat and keep her as still as possible so her back would not be injured any further.

As I got off the phone and knelt to pray, my recent Relief Society lesson came to mind. I wanted to pray for Kay but didn't know what to pray for. We had discussed, "...and they did not multiply many words for it was given unto them what they should pray..." (3 Nephi 19:24)  As I knelt and told my Father in Heaven I was praying for Kay but I didn't know what to pray for, words from our temple covenant came to mind. So silently those are the words I prayed.

As Kristin and I drove together up to Brigham City, I was impressed by her calm. The ICU nurse called while we were together. Before asking her questions she expressed her thanks to him. She said, "First of all, we are grateful she is alive.  Second, we are grateful that she will walk." I was reminded of Rachel's car accident many years ago where she and a friend were driving on the freeway when they lost control and the car rolled. As their Explorer came to a stop, a semi slammed on his brakes and came to a stop just inches from them.  For weeks--months--whenever I was alone, I cried tears of gratitude for the miracle that they were alive. ALIVE! At the same time those tears were purging emotions of... fear? horror? of what almost was.

I was grateful Kristin and Duncan knew they could call me. I was grateful to help in a small way. Kristin's strength is tangible. She's a person you want to be around and know you can rely on. (I've said it before and I'll say it again, I LOVE hearing her recount a story!  Whenever I'm with her I can count on some fun laughs! So much positive energy and faith!) That day our mother-in-law called and Kristin seemed to get a little choked up. She did again when her own mom called. 

But the most beautiful part of that day for me was when we arrived Brigham City. We waited at a gas station just off I-15 for her sister to arrive. Her sister would then drive her up to Idaho Falls -- in Kristin's words, "they are relaying me like a baton up to Kay!"

When Janet pulled up, Kristin jumped out of the car and they fell into each other's arms and cried. And I sat in the car to give them their time together and sobbed right along with them. Because I knew how good it must feel to finally be in the arms of your sister.