This picture was taken in Arusha, Tanzania 4 years ago today. Myself together with a team of 4 other young adults made our way across the ocean for 3 months of ministry in East Africa. This was about the halfway point of our time and this photo was the last stop on our Safari day trip. Little did we know at this moment what was ahead of us in the next 30 minutes.

This very same day my team and I were in a severe roll over car accident. Myself and my dear friend next to me suffered the most serious injuries of the group (though hers were even much worse than mine) and were separated from the team for an extended period of time.

One of my many immediate reactions was that our ministry was over – that we would all go home and be done. We still had about 2 months left in East Africa and about four more months of ministry to do back in the United States. But ending the ministry was certainly not God’s plan for us.

Later as we all started to think about the severity of what had happened to us, we understood that there was no way that we should have survived that accident. None of us were wearing seatbelts, all of the windows were down in the car, and it had a pop-top that was up and at some point had fallen off the vehicle, and yet somehow we all stayed in the car.

I recently saw a video that someone posted on Facebook of a roll over accident with dummies in the car. It was on a paved road (we were on a dirt road) and the car rolled over the same amount of times, and it was all flat (in our accident we rolled 105 feet down a steep hill).

I now know that we were given a second chance at life here on earth because God was not done with us yet.

I think in our own ways we all deal with backlash from that accident. Fear of riding in cars, extra anxiety when driving by steep drop offs, and residual pain or symptoms of injuries sustained that day.

God is constantly giving us second chances. Bad things are going to happen to us – He doesn’t promise us a life of shelter and safety. Jesus even said several times that we would face troubles in this world.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

Suffering will happen, but there is redemption because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross. That’s not to say that the things that happen to you don’t matter, or that they will not continue to cause you pain. I still suffer daily from residual back pain from my 4 spinal compression fractures.

BUT I will not let that or any other circumstance dictate my life and how I live because I  am the daughter of the Most High King Jesus Christ! I have redemption and I have an infinite amount of second chances to continue to grow closer to my Lord and become more and more like him. And guess what?! So do YOU!

Suffering happens. We have second chances. We have redemption. We have an inheritance in God’s kingdom. We have the power to overcome all of it through the cross.

Bwana Asifiwe! (PRAISE GOD!)