Divine Purpose

If you know me at all then you know I am a firm believer in divine purpose. Everything happens for a reason. Every misstep, every inconvenience, every new friend, every new job, everything has a purpose, a message, or is part of a plan much bigger than us. Everything. The world around us talks to us incessantly. It talks to us in a language of spirit, love, purpose. We can ignore the messages, we can pretend not to understand them. But when you listen to the world around you, the pull in your heart, the love in your soul, then your life will make sense. Each breath will matter more than the last. You start to accept that you are here on earth to learn lessons, to teach them, and to share them. I feel like my soul is a divine being of heaven. That I am here for some reason. I will never stop believing that God is inside of me, loving me and guiding me. That is the only thing I know for sure in life. I am here for a reason. Things happen for a reason.

Today, running late for an errand I was supposed to do yesterday, I was passed by a motorcycle. He was going very fast. As soon as he passed something felt wrong. Five seconds later, his bike hit the wall; twice. He flew and rolled across the lane in front of me. His bike continued to flip for another 100 feet, literally looking as though it had been snapped in half by a Transformer. My car wasn't even stopped when I threw it into park, 911 was on my phone before I had my seat belt off. I ran to the motorcyclist, laying on the ground. I was absolutely terrified but felt there was a reason I was there. I am very good in a crisis. He laid there for a second, I handed my phone to another bystander to give more information to 911. I asked his name. I gave him mine. He tried to get up. I told him to please stay, to not move, to look me in the eyes. He asked what happened. I told him he was in an accident. He needed to stay down, don't move; the ambulance was on the way. His adrenaline was going full force. He sat up and removed his crushed helmet. His safety suit was ripped to shreds, the fingers of his gloves were exposed and bleeding. He tried to stand up. He was unsteady but could stand. He wanted his missing shoe; he called his family. He asked me over and over what happened. The ambulance showed up and he did not want to go with them to the hospital. We explained he would be unable to feel the damage through the adrenaline and he should go. I asked if he wanted me to follow him to the hospital; he said let's go.

I waited behind the ambulance as they readied for the transport. The officer came over took my statement. I told him I was going to follow the ambulance to the hospital. He asked if I knew him. No, I just needed to go. He didn't remember the accident and I wanted to make sure he and his family had whatever they needed. The officer smiled, "You are just doing this as a good person?" Yes. Is this really an extraordinary thing? Shouldn't we all care enough about others? Besides, what was so important in my life that was more important than the fact that had it not been for all his safety gear I would have approached a dead body that day; witnessed the death of an unknown somebody who is important in this world. Important enough to be able to walk away from what I can only describe as the most terrifying scene I had ever witnessed first hand. And you should know I have witnessed a lot.

I followed the ambulance the ten miles to the hospital. I have to admit this part was pretty fun. Permission to go 80, run red lights, ambulance chase. After we arrived at the hospital, I told the staff that I knew I couldn't see him or get information but that I would be waiting for his family in the waiting room. First to arrive was his mother. We immediately embraced. With tears in her eyes I described the scene, the injuries, and assured her he was coherent. He knew his name and was able to focus with his eyes, I was sure he would be okay. She saw the blood on my sweater. She asked if I was OK. Yes. That was his blood. She held my hand and described that two weeks ago, in the very same spot, his friend had crashed on a motorcycle and died. I could see the fear in her eyes, the worry, the relief. The thought that we could have been sharing a very different moment in that hospital waiting room.

His sister in law and niece appeared next. Followed by his father. Then his brother and another sister in law. Then the girlfriend of his friend who had died and her mother. Each time I recounted the story. Each time I assured them that he was lucky; blessed. That his attention to safety saved his life. They all hugged me, embraced me as if they'd known me for years. His mother called me an angel. His father his savior as he took my picture to show him "who saved his life." I did nothing of the sort. I was simply there for a man who needed me, even if he didn't know me. There for a family that I had known in my soul for years, but in reality only a few minutes.

Finally, the doctors came to escort the family back there to see him. His parents and brother went first. Then his mother and father came to the waiting room. They insisted I go to see him. The first thing I said when I saw him was that the hospital is smart, they strapped him down! I told him he was stubborn. He said he didn't remember anything. He asked me again what happened. I told him. He remembered nothing of the accident, nothing of the aftermath. He apologized to me for having to see that crash. He thanked me. He saw the blood on my shirt. I laughed and said it was his. He told me to bill him.

They were getting ready to clean the road rash. He luckily only suffered that and a concussion. Amazing. Heaven was with him on that bike, there is no doubt in my mind. I kissed his forehead. He asked me to leave my information with his family, which I did. On my way out, I hugged the family I just met. People I know I was supposed to meet. With that I left. Thankful to be where I was in that exact moment; a place that had the last 24 hours gone as "planned" I would not have been.

There was nothing special about what I had done, but there is an extraordinary love that blooms inside my soul. A seed planted in Heaven, grown out of the love I find in the darkest of hours, the joy I find in the inconveniences, and the lessons I find as I am stirred by the silent words that surround me. If I can do good, make an impact in anyone's life for even a second, then I am living my life with a divine purpose.

Having the faith to follow my heart's calling is the greatest gift God has ever given me.