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Field Ethos
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By Will Dabbs, MD
There’s a great deal more to life than what we can touch and feel. Mankind has debated the existence of the supernatural since the very dawn of time and drawn wildly disparate conclusions. However, I would invite the skeptic simply to step outside on a clear night devoid of overcast and cast their gaze skyward. That little black spot between the stars goes on forever—it never, ever stops—and there’s not a human being on Planet Earth who understands it. Speaking solely for myself, I wouldn’t discount the concept of God just yet.
Our hero was maybe 14. I saw him in Room 7 at my medical clinic. Room 7 is the treatment room—the playroom, if you will. That’s where I get to do my cutting and sewing. That’s the coolest part of my job.
This young man presented in the company of his mother. His hands were veritably mangled with lacerations both superficial and otherwise liberally arrayed across them both. As is my custom, as I got my gear together I innocently asked, “What happened to you, stud?”
This young man and his Dad were driving down rural Highway 6 east of town. With few exceptions, Highway 6 runs arrow straight between Oxford and Tupelo, Mississippi. He and his Dad were enjoying a little quality time when they spotted a car up ahead suddenly swerve off of the road, bounce over the shoulder, and violently strike a sturdy tree. The kid’s Dad pulled over expeditiously, and they both made haste for the immobilized vehicle.
There was but a single occupant, a 30-something-year-old woman. Perhaps she had been texting or just let her concentration wander. It doesn’t matter. The impact had deployed her airbags. She was clearly shaken up but did not appear badly injured. Airbags are indeed amazing things. However, the car doors would not open.
As near as they could ascertain, the impact had telescoped the vehicle in such a way as to jam both doors to this two-door vehicle. There was no means of ready access in the back, either. No matter how hard they yanked, the doors would not budge. The young man’s Dad jogged back to his pickup in search of a tire tool to use to break the glass.
I don’t know if you have had cause to change a tire in a modern vehicle lately. Like absolutely everything else in modern life, tire changing just isn’t as straightforward as was once the case. The sundry implements are oftentimes stashed away in custom-fitted cubbies underneath seats and the like. This man was struggling to locate his tire iron. Meanwhile, his teenaged son was still tugging on the intransigent car door. The kid and the trapped woman noticed the flames beneath the hood at about the same time.
The car was now on fire, and this woman was trapped inside. This well-intentioned 14-year-old was now six inches from a terrified woman who was about to burn to death. When faced with such horrific prospects, this kid did what most any of us might do. He simply prayed.
Now appreciate the scene. I’m getting ready to stitch this kids hands back together as he relates this story. I’m now mesmerized. He said he prayed with every fiber of his being, harder than he had ever prayed before. Then he opened up his eyes, glanced down at the ground, and saw a big crescent wrench sitting between his feet.
This was on the side of the road in the middle of no place. He had no idea how it got there and didn’t much care. The boy just hefted the big wrench and went to town on the driver’s-side window like a man possessed.
By the time his Dad got back to the car, the kid had the woman out of the vehicle. By then the front of the car was fully involved and smoke was pouring out of the broken window. He had also badly lacerated his hands in the process.
Draw whatever conclusions you wish from this tale. I related it exactly as he related it to me. Perhaps the wrench fell off of a passing truck. Maybe it was placed there by God Himself. Regardless, there is a great deal more to life than what we can touch or feel. A 14-year-old kid once explained that to me one day in my medical clinic while I was putting his cut-up hands back together.
The post The Coincidental Wrench appeared first on Field Ethos.
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There’s a great deal more to life than what we can touch and feel. Mankind has debated the existence of the supernatural since the very dawn of time and drawn wildly disparate conclusions. However, I would invite the skeptic simply to step outside on a clear night devoid of overcast and cast their gaze skyward. That little black spot between the stars goes on forever—it never, ever stops—and there’s not a human being on Planet Earth who understands it. Speaking solely for myself, I wouldn’t discount the concept of God just yet.
The Guy
Our hero was maybe 14. I saw him in Room 7 at my medical clinic. Room 7 is the treatment room—the playroom, if you will. That’s where I get to do my cutting and sewing. That’s the coolest part of my job.
This young man presented in the company of his mother. His hands were veritably mangled with lacerations both superficial and otherwise liberally arrayed across them both. As is my custom, as I got my gear together I innocently asked, “What happened to you, stud?”
The Event
This young man and his Dad were driving down rural Highway 6 east of town. With few exceptions, Highway 6 runs arrow straight between Oxford and Tupelo, Mississippi. He and his Dad were enjoying a little quality time when they spotted a car up ahead suddenly swerve off of the road, bounce over the shoulder, and violently strike a sturdy tree. The kid’s Dad pulled over expeditiously, and they both made haste for the immobilized vehicle.
There was but a single occupant, a 30-something-year-old woman. Perhaps she had been texting or just let her concentration wander. It doesn’t matter. The impact had deployed her airbags. She was clearly shaken up but did not appear badly injured. Airbags are indeed amazing things. However, the car doors would not open.
As near as they could ascertain, the impact had telescoped the vehicle in such a way as to jam both doors to this two-door vehicle. There was no means of ready access in the back, either. No matter how hard they yanked, the doors would not budge. The young man’s Dad jogged back to his pickup in search of a tire tool to use to break the glass.
I don’t know if you have had cause to change a tire in a modern vehicle lately. Like absolutely everything else in modern life, tire changing just isn’t as straightforward as was once the case. The sundry implements are oftentimes stashed away in custom-fitted cubbies underneath seats and the like. This man was struggling to locate his tire iron. Meanwhile, his teenaged son was still tugging on the intransigent car door. The kid and the trapped woman noticed the flames beneath the hood at about the same time.
Things Get Real
The car was now on fire, and this woman was trapped inside. This well-intentioned 14-year-old was now six inches from a terrified woman who was about to burn to death. When faced with such horrific prospects, this kid did what most any of us might do. He simply prayed.
Now appreciate the scene. I’m getting ready to stitch this kids hands back together as he relates this story. I’m now mesmerized. He said he prayed with every fiber of his being, harder than he had ever prayed before. Then he opened up his eyes, glanced down at the ground, and saw a big crescent wrench sitting between his feet.
This was on the side of the road in the middle of no place. He had no idea how it got there and didn’t much care. The boy just hefted the big wrench and went to town on the driver’s-side window like a man possessed.
By the time his Dad got back to the car, the kid had the woman out of the vehicle. By then the front of the car was fully involved and smoke was pouring out of the broken window. He had also badly lacerated his hands in the process.
Deep Magic
Draw whatever conclusions you wish from this tale. I related it exactly as he related it to me. Perhaps the wrench fell off of a passing truck. Maybe it was placed there by God Himself. Regardless, there is a great deal more to life than what we can touch or feel. A 14-year-old kid once explained that to me one day in my medical clinic while I was putting his cut-up hands back together.
The post The Coincidental Wrench appeared first on Field Ethos.
Continue reading...
