An Accident NOT Waiting to Happen
By Charlotte Goh
What does it mean to be in God’s presence, to know Him intimately, and to hear Him speak personally? The Lord answered some of my long-held questions, but not in a way I imagined.
I will spare the details of how our car accident in rural New Zealand in December 2025 happened. Suffice to say that both cars were totaled and I ended up with severe injuries - fractures on the sternum, seven ribs, the T3 spinal vertebra and right wrist, a chest hematoma (pooling of blood), lung contusions, leg bruises and a half-bitten tongue.
“In all things, give thanks!” I am amazed that these were my first thoughts as I peered through the shattered windscreen. “Thank You, Lord,” I prayed repeatedly, through gasps of shallow, painful breaths. Thanksgiving and praise ushers one into God’s presence. Fear is removed and a calm assurance wraps over as we shift our gaze to God.
Why had I so narrowly escaped death?
I was jolted back to reality when I heard my husband shouting, “Get out of the car!” A slight panic set in when I saw smoke coming from the engine, but my hands were too severely injured to undo the seat belt. Thankfully, he came to help whilst I prayed for strength to walk a few steps, far enough from the smoking wreck.
As I sat on the grass patch in repeated thanksgiving, almost immediately, my dear friend Channie’s words came to mind. - “Good will come out of this”, words spoken at probably the toughest period in her life. Speak God’s Word in faith.
I pondered, “Why had I so narrowly escaped death?” The helicopter rescue medic hinted that worse could have been expected given the 100kph direct collision. During my quiet time one day, words from Psalm 118:17, “I will not die, but live, and proclaim what the Lord has done”, struck a deep chord. Whether I live or die, it is up to the Lord. There is unfinished work yet for me on earth.
There were many moments of discouragement and despair in the weeks that followed. Daily activities like dressing myself, brushing teeth or holding a cup to drink became mountainous tasks.
Sleep deprivation was particularly challenging, having to sleep on a chair for eight weeks. Yet it was in these early hours that I shared some of the most intimate moments with God. Conversation flowed freely and Scripture came alive. It also struck me that one of the reasons that sometimes God felt far away or appeared silent, was simply that I had not spent unhurried time communing with Him.
The blessings and precious insights gained
A month after the accident, I had three terrifying incidents when my body spasmed and locked into a near paralytic state, a result of an aggravated spondylolisthesis (spine slippage). Each time, thoughts of permanent disability raced through my mind and filled my heart with fear.
When doubt and fear arise, this battlefield of the mind is fought with God’s Word! The Sword of the Spirit is the one offense weapon in the armour, the rest being defensive. “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). To wield this Sword effectively, I resolved to do so through diligent study and storing of God’s Word in my heart.
Whilst I hope never to go through an accident again, the blessings and precious insights gained far outweigh the physical pain experienced. I am well on the road to recovery with regular physiotherapy and bone treatment. A potential spinal operation may loom ahead, but I continue to believe in, and receive daily God’s healing and blessings in more ways than one.
For God is love.
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