September 19. Seven forty-five p.m. Nine days after my 21st birthday. I was invincible. The world was on my side.

But in a split second, my entire life flipped upside down. With one choice--one impact--everything changed. I don't know the other side of the story. I don't know what the other vehicle was talking about or listening to the second before our lives crossed paths. I still haven't seen their faces or heard their names. Our vehicles collided, and in that moment, time stood still. My body flung itself forward in what seemed like slow motion. My airbag exploded like a gunshot aimed at my head. Chaos broke loose for mere seconds, then silence.

I was frozen with fear. It smelled like a firecracker had exploded inside of my car. I looked up to see the hood of my convertible smashed and mangled. People were at my window, but I couldn't hear what they were saying. Fire trucks and ambulances arrived but I wasn't aware. I felt numb. What just happened? Tears streamed down my face. Not from pain. But fear. The other car was 20 feet away. Who was in the car? Are they okay? What just happened. Oh my gosh did I just kill someone? Please. Please no. Please, God, let them be okay. Someone please tell me that they're okay.

I felt no pain. Everything was blurry. Wait, where were my glasses? There. In the passenger seat laying on top of the ball cap that was on my head just seconds before.

Adrenaline rushed through me in waves.

Then reality set in--but in the strangest way.

I was the only person in my car, but I wasn’t alone. A sense of peace overwhelmed my entire being, and in the depths of my soul, I knew that everything was okay. God did not make this happen, but He was there. He made his presence known, and I knew he was in control.

How can something so bad and so utterly terrifying actually save my life?

It opened my eyes. One instant, life was great. The next, my life could easily have been taken. I was complacent. Yeah, bad things happen to people everyday… but not to me. Bad things aren’t supposed to happen to me. Since that moment, I've realized that life is a lot like that car crash. Chaotic. Sudden. Unpredictable. It can hit you out of nowhere with no warning at all. Later that night, my devotional opened my eyes even more. “In the midst of chaos, put your worries into God’s hands and trust in his power. He sent his archangel Michael to watch over you in every situation and to help you with every problem.”

I don't know why bad things happen. And I don't know why my life was spared on that night. But I do know that we are not called to live complacent, self-centered, careless lives.

So before you get on the road, buckle up. When you get that text while driving, think twice about reading it. I didn’t have any distractions when our cars collided. No phone. No passengers. I wasn’t in a hurry. My radio wasn’t even on. Yet, a lapse in judgement almost caused a heap of pain for many families and friends. Just think of the damage that could have been done had there been other distractions. Please be careful, friends.

And know in that moment, through all of it, that you are not alone.