It had been a long day. I left early last week on Tuesday morning to drive south of Raleigh, NC to visit an inmate in prison. We spent more than an hour together talking about life, the Bible, and Jesus… it was a good visit.
Then I headed to the Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem to visit a church member who had just come out of surgery for a very serious form of cancer. Which, by the way, the doctors have now declared her cancer-free from a form of cancer that has no cure! It is a God thing!!
After visiting, praying, and meeting other family members… I headed to my car. I had told them that it was just a few miles away at Old Salem where I first kissed Mary. She was attending Governor’s School… I think the historical marker is still there!
I was driving west on Interstate 40 heading towards I-77 which would lead me home. I had just passed exit 182 outside of Winston-Salem. The signs told me that there was road work ahead and to be prepared to slow down. For just a moment I thought about taking an exit to find a way around the construction. The traffic slowed to 35 miles per hour. It didn’t look like it would be too bad.
I was paying very close attention to the car in front of me. I didn’t look in my rear view mirror, which was a good thing. Otherwise I would have seen the car coming towards me at 85 miles per hour making no attempt to slow down. A 24-year-old was talking on his cell phone to his girlfriend. He did not realize that the traffic had slowed considerably. If I had seen the oncoming vehicle, I would have stiffened every muscle preparing for the impending impact because I had no route of escape. That body reaction would have increased my injuries many fold.
Instead, I was simply looking ahead. I heard the initial impact… but was not sure what had happened. After my Ford Explorer spun around two times, it hit the guard rail facing into the east bound traffic which was about 30 feet away. I’m very thankful for the person who invented guard rails… and seat belts!
I do remember feeling completely at peace and calm. I felt no jarring or banging. I knew I was out of control, but at the same time everything was under control. Later, at the hospital, I was praying and thanking God for protecting me. He told me that he had placed a team of angels around me during the accident. I believe Him! That explains the calmness I felt the protection I had. Other than a bump on my head, there was zero pain.
I remember someone coming to my car. I have no idea what they said, but I think I did what they told me to do. I got out of my car. I saw that the car in front of me had been hit as well… either by me while I was spinning or by the other car. There was an older couple in the car. I asked them if they were okay.
Then all of a sudden it occurred to me that I had no idea where I was and why I was there. I didn’t know what day it was or what I had been doing for the past 24 hours. “Why am I standing in the middle of the interstate? Why is the back of my car gone?” Someone told me where I was. “So why am I in North Carolina?” My next thought was, “My brother, Elliott, is a Captain with the High Point Fire Department. He is the closest family member.” I called him. “Hey. I’ve been in a wreck on I-40. Can you come?” “Be there in a moment,” he said. Ten minutes passed and I was still confused. I called my brother again. “Did I call you earlier?” He said, “Yes and I am on my way.” “That’s great, because I don’t remember calling you.” He told me later that after the second call he drove much faster to get to me.
I called Mary. Her first words were, “I’m talking to Molly, I will call you right back.” I simply said okay. Mary was talking to her sister about her dad. He was having some serious health issues and Mary was getting an update. If I had said “I’m in trouble,” she would have given me full attention. But at that moment, I didn’t even remember being in a wreck, so I didn’t say anything. She felt horrible when she found out what was going on… but it was not her fault. I wasn’t able to communicate anything. (We are working on a new system of communication!)
Okay… I’m in North Carolina. My brother is on his way. So why am I here? Where have I been all day? I could not remember anything. About that time an EMT asked me if I was okay. “I don’t know. I know who I am, but I don’t know why I am here.” He asked, “Do you know what day it is?” “No,” I admitted with great embarrassment. They took my blood pressure… it was high. “Do you want to go to the hospital?” he asked. “I’m fine,” I said. Remember, I’m a guy and we don’t like to admit we need anything… (I think that the “male ego” was a little joke by God on man.) The EMT said, “Sign here that you don’t want to go to the hospital.” I signed and they moved to the others.
Why I did the following, I have no idea, but it made a difference. I was sitting on the guard rail in the middle of the interstate. I took out my Blackberry and began twittering. That sent instant texts to cell phones and Facebook. I thought if I could start writing about what is happening my memory would come back. I began to tell people what was happening. Within in five minutes I received over 50 text messages and multiple phone calls. I didn’t answer the phone because I was too confused. But the peace that overwhelmed me was reassuring… people were praying! Over the next 30 minutes I had more than 100 text messages and phone calls. More peace and calmness!
The people in the car ahead of me told me that they saw everything. They saw the car coming; they saw my car spin twice; they saw their car get hit by the other car. The police said I was going 35 mph and the at-fault car hit me at 85 mph.
I looked across the road and saw my brother. He talked to the fire fighters and made his way to me. I knew I would be okay. “You okay?” “I’m not sure. I can’t remember anything.” “Where is the EMT?” he asked. “They left.” He got mad. “You need to go the hospital. I’m not taking any risk.” “Fine with me,” I said.
Somewhere in all that process, I gathered all my stuff out of the car and put it into a garbage bag. I have no idea where I got the bag from. I had a feeling I wouldn’t be driving that car again. “Is it totaled?” I asked the wrecker guy as he was pulling my car onto his tow truck. “Oh yeah,” he said.
I noticed that the driver seat was completely flat and the back of my driver’s seat was laying into the back seat. “How did that happen?” I wondered.
I finally talked to Mary. “Are you going to the hospital?” she asked. “I’m okay, I don’t need to go.” “YOU ARE GOING TO THE HOSPITAL,” she informed me. “I can tell by your voice that something is wrong.”
Elliott got me to his car. We drove the five minutes back to Baptist Hospital. We walked into the ER. It was packed. I was taken to triage. I was with a nurse for five minutes. They took me straight to an examination room and within a few minutes I had my first exam by a physician. “I think you are okay, but let me talk to someone else.” A few minutes later he came back with another physician. He examined me. I still don’t remember much from the day. “I think we should do a CAT scan. Do you want to do that?” He knew I was a pastor and I said “You don’t tell me how to preach and I won’t tell you how to practice medicine.” He laughed and said we would do the scan.
While I was waiting for the scan, a nurse came in. “Are you Mack Brock?” “Yes.” She shook her head and said, “Let me look at your wrist identification. We have you classified wrong,” she said as she left the room. Elliott looked at my id. “They have you listed as a black female.” We laughed. The nurse returned to change my id bracelet. I told Elliott, “I’m going to have fun with this. This will let everyone know I’m okay.” So I twittered the news. I noticed on my phone that I had another 100 messages. I had messages from friends all over the country. I love technology.
The physician reported to me “You have a concussion with amnesia. Your memory will come back and you will be fine.” A third physician came in to give me one final check. They were awesome.
Mary was on her way, so Elliott took me half way to meet her. Elliott told her that he was finally glad that he was able to take care of his big brother. It was reassuring that he was there. It took a great deal of pressure off of Mary as well.
Well, I’ve been examined three times since being home. I still have some fuzziness and trouble concentrating… but all is well. God has been very good to me. I have to take a short break from preaching because of the inability to concentrate.
God taught me that the reason I was calm during the wreck was that the outcome did not matter. If I survived, then I get to remain with my family and friends. If I did not survive the wreck, then I get to be with Jesus in heaven. It was a win-win situation.
As for my brain, I am claiming Romans 12:2
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 (NLT)
I need God to renew my mind. This kind of work is done by the Holy Spirit as we become consistent in our study and meditation on Scripture and through prayer. So my prescription for recovery is to take a break from the internet, television and movies, and give my full focus on God’s word and prayer.
Let me say again, thank you for the outpouring of your love and prayers this past week.
I love you!
