On Jan. 21 my youngest son was in a near-fatal auto accident.
As I pulled up to the scene of the accident that day my heart dropped and I began to cry out to God. What I saw was a parent’s worst nightmare.
Looking at my son’s 1992 Chevy Blazer, I feared the worst and expected, at best, a severely broken child — who had already been airlifted to Baptist South in Montgomery.
The officer I spoke to was the first one on the scene; he also is an Alabama Baptist bivocational minister (like me). He gave me words of comfort right when I needed them most. That was a privilege.
I also am privileged because in the days that followed God sent His love through so many people. Many pastors, most I have never had the privilege of meeting, sent messages with words of encouragement, support and prayer. I had no clue what God was doing and I still do not know everything but He used you, Alabama Baptists, as His feet, hands and mouth to speak to us, to let us know He was with us.
I am privileged. As my son laid in a coma we found out he had a severe brain injury called Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI) and that he could be in a coma for at least three months. During this time more Alabama Baptists showed their love and care for our family.
I am privileged. Denver woke up after three weeks of being in a coma. We are now in Birmingham with him at Children’s Hospital helping him through grueling and tiresome therapy. (At press time, Denver was set to be released from Children’s to go home March 24.) My son is walking again … and saying “I love you.” Yes I am truly privileged.
While walking through this valley I can stand on the promise that God is right there with me. I am privileged.
I also am privileged because God has allowed me to feel just a little of the pain and sorrow He felt when His Son was dying on the cross for me. This experience, the pain, raw emotions, the fear, has brought me ever closer to God and for that I am truly privileged.
We ask for your continued prayers and please accept this prayer of blessing as my sincerest thank you: “The Lord bless thee and keep thee. The Lord make His face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee and give thee peace” (Num. 6:24–26).
Pastor Orlando and Kelly Buck
Emmanuel Baptist Church, Ariton
Editor’s Note — Orlando Buck was recently elected president of the Alabama Baptist Bivocational Ministers and received the statewide Troy L. Morrison Leadership/Church Health Award for bivocational work in 2016.
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