Rockin C: December 2011

Thursday, December 8

Nothing but a miracle . . .

Saturday morning while I was editing some pictures in my office I heard a loud “BANG” come from our living room. Initially, I thought it was the sound of our 400gal aquarium busting. Seconds later my husband, Tim, is screaming, “Call 911 & keep the kids in there! … It’s bad baby, real bad.”

Tim was rearranging guns in his safe (unbeknownst to me) & while pulling one out the strap hung on his 30.06 (deer rifle) & “BANG!”

Being married to a cop there is always a possibility of receiving that call, but never in a million years would I have imagined I would have to make it. I can’t even begin to tell you the emotions that totally consumed me. My heart raced & seemed to have stopped all at the same time.

There wasn’t time to panic, I immediately called 911 attempting to give them the few details I had: My husband was shot & it was bad. For several minutes I didn’t know where he had been shot – he was on the other side of the house, I was on the phone that was attached to the wall, & I was sick & had lost my voice, so Tim couldn’t hear me questioning him. Those minutes seemed like F.O.R.E.V.E.R!!!!

Surprisingly, our entire household remained calm. Our boys were amazing & that man of mine – he is one tough hombre! By the grace of God, the bullet hit his ring finger (only inches from his head). You honestly would have to see the layout of the accident to fully get it, but any time a gun is accidently fired & there aren’t any fatalities – it is a miracle.

This is Tim’s wedding ring. It has been lost in the bottom of the ocean in Jamaica & now it has been shot in half! Tim can’t wear it anymore. Not on his ring finger at least. He lost his finger. It’s gone. Completely. But he is alive!! Nothing but a miracle.

At first we weren’t sure how this would affect his job. *He has to be able to shoot his duty gun single-handedly in each hand in order to qualify to work the streets. God is so good!!! Tim's appt with the specialist went well. He is expected to recover completely (- a finger) & should eventually be able to hit the streets once he is completely heeled *possibly by the end of this month.

Never in a million years would I have thought my husband would have a gun related accident. This has been eye-opening in so many areas & we truly feel the Lord's protection! At times I feel the urge to naturally defend my husband, explain why we *had* loaded guns *in a locked gun safe* & tell you how smart Tim is, what a great police officer he is, how protective of his family he is, & how gun cautious he always is & assure you that he has been harder on himself than anyone else could...

As much as we hope you use this as an opportunity to reevaluate gun safety in your own home, I think there is more than a lesson with guns to be learned. I pray this experience has also shown you how awesome God is when we make mistakes! There is no doubt that our God is a mighty all knowing God that brings good from every situation & with 4 boys this is a lesson well learned. Beyond the lessons there is an opportunity to see God working miracles. Because it truly is a miracle that he is alive.

The past few days I have been tired & emotional, but mostly THANKFUL ...