Today I have bloody footprints in my garage!

Yes, that is right- I have 7 bloody footprints in my garage. No, it isn't a crime scene; but it sure was a scene straight out of your nightmares.

You see, my daughter and I share many wonderful qualities; however, athleticism isn't one of them. On Monday night, she demonstrated this fact by a rather forceful collision with her scooter. I was upstairs when my husband started yelling for me. I ran down the stairs as fast as I could and saw him carrying our daughter inside. To be honest, it was a little hard for my brain to comprehend the scene. But let me try to describe it for you... There was blood everywhere- we are talking actual puddles of blood! My daughter had a three inch gash on her shin that taught me more about human anatomy than my physiology classes ever did. I was actually able to identify fat, muscle and yes, bone. By the way, did you know there is an artery that goes up the front of the leg??? I do now!!! Yes, that explains the copious amounts of blood. Once I started focusing again, I see my son trying to apologize to my daughter (we still haven't figured out why because he wasn't anywhere near her when it happened). My daughter was rather glassy-eyed through the entire thing. I quickly called my neighbor, a nurse, and told her she HAD to come over NOW because we had had an accident. As she told us later, after following the trail of bloody footprints through the garage and then encountering not only one but two LARGE puddles of blood, she knew there was a problem. She agreed that my daughter did need stitches and she was kind enough (and coherent enough) to offer to drive us to the emergency room.

My husband and I were both happy to accept her help as well as her daughter's help (our regular babysitter) when she stayed with our son at home. I was particularly grateful for my neighbor's expertise when my daughter started to get groggy on the way to the hospital. My neighbor dropped us off at the emergency room and parked the car; she waited with us for the entire 2 and 1/2 hours; she asked all of the right questions to the doctors; she watched over the not-so-practiced resident apply 12, yes 12, stitches; she cheerfully drove us home. Thank you doesn't seem to be enough but THANK YOU!

We had no idea what Monday night had in store for us, but God did. The Bible promises us that God will always provide for us. God certainly did provide for us Monday night. I honestly don't know what we would have done if my neighbor wasn't home. God knew we needed them and allowed everything to work out in His timing. I'm thankful for two things today. I'm thankful for my neighbor's willingness to help and I'm thankful for God's provision. I just hope that someday I will help someone too when God has put me in the right place at the right time. Maybe that day will be today.