Sunday School Antics Part 2

Brice never ceases to amaze me. From that ornery little boy in my Sunday School class he has grown into an incredible young man with so much potential. Even in the face of adversity, Brice has a zeal about him that just makes you want to run wide open and cheer for him....sorta like in the lockerroom before a basketball game and the coach wants to get you fired up before hitting the floor.

Back in the summer, Brice was enjoying the break before beginning his senior year of high school. Being an avid skateboarder, it wasn't unusual to see him on his board all hours of the day and night. One of the favorite hangouts for boarders was close to a local railyard and they had to cut through the railyard to get to the park.

This particular railyard is in a fairly rural area and is not heavily used by the railroad. You could go days and not see any train activity in the yard. (I know you are already seeing where this is going). On a particular day, Brice and some of his board buddies were walking through the railyard and there happened to be a train on the tracks. Nobody knows for sure exactly what happened, but Brice lost his footing and fell on the track. The train was moving and before Brice could get away, one of the massive truck wheels of the train severed his foot right at the ankle. The initial shock of getting hit by a train sent Brice reeling and he momentarily blacked out. When he came to, he realized the train had severed an artery and his lifeblood was pumping out into the sooty gravel of the railyard.

I know you are thinking, "poor Brice, such a tragic thing for such a young man." But I'm here to tell you there is bad news and good news to this story.

As horrific as that accident was, God was and is ultimately in control - in control of the situation and in control of Brice's life. One evening I sat back in utter amazement while Brice's folks recounted that horrible day. Not in a way you would expect, but in complete confidence that God does not make mistakes. They told how Brice, with the help of his buddies, made it out of the railyard and to an area where he could be attended by medical professionals. They told about the hospital helicopter that was only minutes away because they had just dropped off another patient. The told of Brice's courage and even humor in the midst of tragedy. They told of how he sang praise choruses while waiting for the EMT's. They told of Brice's amazingly quick recovery and his desire to go to school and get on with his life.

A few nights ago, I was able to visit with Brice as he was showing off his new "foot". His "foot" is an interesting looking prosthesis which resembles a miniature snow ski. He demonstrated how it attached to his leg and the adjustments he could make to it. Then he proceeded to tell me how he had been playing flag football and when he finished making a touchdown he looked down and his new foot was pointed out to the right instead of straight ahead. He told me about some of his basketball games in the church league and how many rebounds and assists he had. All I could do was sit there, grin and shake my head from time to time.

But the best part of the evening was when Brice told me again of his plans to attend Bible college and study Youth Ministries and media. He and his folks had already visited the school and he is so excited about starting a new period in his life. The conviction in his voice, the sparkle in his eyes and the determination in his spirit let me know this young man will be touching heaven and changing lives.

That's not to say Brice will not have his down days. I can't even begin to imagine being that young and facing life with a major prosthesis and I'm sure those thoughts have crossed Brice's mind a time or two as well. Still, his outlook on life humbles me and I find myself asking forgiveness for whining about my little aches and pains.

I think about that little boy in my Sunday School class and thank God I did not squelch his enthusiasm or drive him away because he might disrupt my class. I am grateful to have been just a small part of a life I know will do great things for our sovereign God.