The Fact Is... We ALL Need Jesus

It is 2:36am and I find myself sitting in a hospital waiting room. Things can change so quickly. 14 hours ago I was eating lunch with my dad, mom, and girls. 12 hours ago we learned of the accident. A lot has happened… fast.

A lot of reports have been given, and some rumors have developed. To bring clarity, I want to share with you what we know so far. These are just the facts, and they are the only confirmed details. Please avoid speculation as best as possible. If you need clarity, refer to this blog.


All things considered, the reports are pretty good. Here is the story of what we believe happened – just the facts:

My dad and Justin were on their way to deliver boxes to a friend of ours from church – serving people, as usual. They were headed west bound on Airport Road when a tire suddenly appeared in front of their vehicle. My dad, one of the best and most confident drivers I know, swerved to miss the tire. According to the police report, a vehicle on the opposite side of the highway lost his rear tire for an unknown reason. When dad swerved to miss the tire, his tire went into the dirt and the dirt collected on the tire causing the vehicle to roll. Dad was thrown from the vehicle during the first roll, Justin was wearing his seatbelt and rolled with the vehicle at least one more time.

When the dust settled, my dad laid unconscious, face down, on the side of the road. Justin was awake and stuck inside in the SUV.

A family was right behind their vehicle and witnessed the accident. They immediately pulled over, dialed 911, and began to do anything they could to help. Justin doesn’t remember anything from the time the vehicle first rolled until he was inside the ambulance. However, the eye witness reported that Justin was calm and helpful. He provided the people helping with my mom’s phone number.

That is where I got involved.

I was at my dad’s house dropping something off he needed. Rachael and I were in separate vehicles, so I decided to say “hi” to Nathan and Jonathan before I left. I went out to Jonathan’s room after talking with Nathan, and we started visiting for a few minutes. I was just about to leave the house when mom came in to Jon’s room with a look of fear on her face. Dad and Justin had been in an accident.

I took the phone from mom and ran to my Expedition as quick as I could, with Jon and mom right behind me. We jumped into the car and the lady who witnessed the accident was very helpful in preparing me for the scene over the phone and giving me an update the best she could.

We arrived on the scene quickly. Jon got out just in time to see dad being loaded into ambulance #54. Justin was being loaded into a separate ambulance. The paramedics allowed Jonathan to ride in Justin’s ambulance. The ambulances took off code three, and I stayed right on their tale.

We drove 75-80 MPH all the way to the OU Trauma Center. When we arrived, we parked inside the emergency room parking area and rushed inside – and the waiting game began.

Jonathan, who arrived in the ambulance, was escorted into the waiting room to join Mom and I. We asked as many people as we could for details, but with no luck. All we knew was that dad was having a hard time breathing, Justin was in a lot of pain, and no one could confirm or deny if any of their conditions were life threatening.

Over the next 30min or so, several close family members and friends arrived at the emergency room. The Chaplin and several nurses came and spoke with us to collect information. Each time we feared the worse.

I worked hard to not let satan influence my thoughts. The truth was that Dad and Justin were both still alive. I needed to operate in that truth and trust God.

Eventually a nurse took us to an area back behind the ER waiting room. The doctor came out to give us a report. At that point in time, Justin was in stable condition. He had several injuries to deal with – the most concerning was a bruised lung. Justin’s conditions were not life threatening.

My dad wasn’t so lucky. His condition was listed as critical and he was unstable. They were working hard to assist him in breathing get a CAT scan done so they could take a look at the extent of the damage.

When we received the results to the CAT scan things looked dim. Dad had internal bleeding in his torso as well as bleeding and swelling around the brain. The internal bleeding would require surgery. Nothing could be done about the swelling and bleeding around the brain at that point. There was nothing left to do but turn to the Lord and cry out for help… so that is what we did.

A prayer chain was started in our church, as well as many others. People were praying across the US, and even in London, Africa, and Germany. In addition, a prayer meeting started in the hospital chapel. Odus Compton, a dear friend of the family, led the meeting.

When the meeting started I felt hopeless. There was nothing I or anyone could do. The results were in God’s hands. All we could do was pray.

We began to worship God in the meeting. We declared God’s sovereignty. We declared that we trusted in Him for the outcome. We even thanked God for the circumstances because we knew He would work them together for good and for His glory. By the end of the meeting, my heart was at peace and my mind was ready to face whatever would come next.

Shortly after our prayer meeting, we received a report. The swelling and bleeding around the brain was stable, and dad was being prepped for surgery to help stop the internal bleeding.

We waited some more.

A couple hours later, we received a great reported. The doctors told us that they took a second look at the CAT scan, and they believed the swelling and bleeding around the brain was lower than they originally thought. An answer to prayer!

Next, the doctors told us that the surgery to stop the internal bleeding was a great success. Dad’s spleen was damaged beyond repair, so it was removed in the OR. The surgeons were able to help stop the bleeding around the liver. As far as they could tell, all the internal bleeding had stopped.

Now it was time to focus on the next set of issues. Dad’s upper (cervical) and mid (thoracic) spine structures were stable. However, there was severe damage to the sacral and pelvic areas. The damage will require surgery and physical therapy at some point down the road. These injuries caused some bleeding in Dad’s urinary tract.

Recently, Dad was moved to ICU. Currently, doctors are testing the extent of the damage to his bladder, kidneys, and urinary tract. They also plan to test his lungs. Dad is still unconscious and on a respirator. They need to find out if his lungs will be able to support his breathing on their own. All these tests will happen overnight and into the morning. The results of these tests will tell us a lot more. At this point, doctors are hopeful that dad might be able to wake up in the next 12-36 hours.

As for Justin, he was moved to ICU just down the hall from Dad. Doctors were able to stabilize his right lung to limit the risk of a collapse. They had to repair part of the tips of a couple fingers due to injuries received in the accident. His ankle was broken in two places and they had to straighten his ankle and apply a splint. He may need a plate inserted later. He received some stitches for minor cuts, and a brace has been put on his arm (some bones may be broken; we haven’t heard this report from the doctors yet). Other than that, Justin is black and blue, on some pain meds, and doing his best to sleep tonight.

Please continue to pray for both of them… we are not out of the woods yet. I know that Dad’s condition is stable but still critical. Things could change at any time. Please continue to pray for recovery. Here are the greatest prayer requests:
• That the bleeding and swelling around Dad’s brain would go away completely
• That Dad’s urinary track will be able to be flushed out and that no surgery will be required
• That Dad’s injuries to his pelvic/sacral area would be minimal and have no long term effects
• That Justin would find relief from pain, get some sleep, and that his lung would continue to improve.

You can also pray for our family. Pray for strength and wisdom for us kids and my Grandma. Most importantly, pray for my mom. I know if dad was awake she would be his greatest concern. She is already dealing with her own physical condition. The stress and strain added by this ordeal could cause her great pain. Please pray that God would touch and heal her body. She is doing okay right now and is staying strong during this trying time.

So many people are stepping in to help. I want to thank Steve Prentice for taking initiative to contact Doctor Dellinger and get him involved. Doctor Dellinger’s expertise has been an invaluable asset throughout this entire ordeal. I want to thank Odus Compton for coming and stepping in to help meet needs (grabbing dinner, leading the prayer meeting, helping us deal with people, and much more). I want to thank the Myers family for all they have done today… especially Luke who stayed with Justin throughout many procedures today and Cyndi who is staying the night with Luke to serve our family. Sue Boone stayed the night with my Grandma. I also want to thank Pastor Wells and Saundra for the spiritual and emotional support they provided today. Aunt Tonya and Maw-Maw have also provided vital support for my mom. Roger and Kelli ran several errands for us (and continue to do so) so that we would have what we need. The Ruckels have our girls which gives us great peace of mind. Many people have brought food and gifts to the hospital. More than a hundred people came to visit us and pray with us in the ER. Dozens of people have offered to help clean our houses, watch the girls, provide resources, and more. There are so many people that I cannot possibly mention everyone. We are so grateful for all of you and for the demonstration of Christ’s love you have displayed. Thank you.

Know that if any public needs arise, we will make you aware through this blog.

In this situation I am challenged to think like my father (who happens to think like our heavenly Father). What would he say if he could speak right now? Knowing my dad, this is what I know he would communicate:

“If you do not know Jesus Christ, you need to meet Him. I met Him many years ago and He changed my life forever. My eternal future is secure because He died for me, paid my sin debt, and brought me out of spiritual death into life. The Holy Spirit has completely changed my life… He is the reason I am who I am today. He holds me together. You need to believe in Jesus, accept Him as your Savior, be baptized, and become His follower.

If you are already a follower of Jesus, then know this: Life is short. Take advantage of every moment you have now. Make an I.M.P.A.C.T. (I Must Personally Advance Christ Today). Go build a relationship with someone who is lost and lead them to Jesus. There is nothing more important in this life than fulfilling this calling. This is the mission Jesus Christ has put before us. Now go, and fulfill the great commission…”


We are looking forward to bringing more updates of God’s goodness. Right now, we want to encourage all of you to go to church tomorrow and pray for our family with your church family. If you don’t have a church home, please feel free to visit Western Hills Church tomorrow at 10am. We are having a special series of meetings at our church. I know satan would love to use these circumstances and others to stop what God is doing to bring revival in people’s hearts. Don’t let satan clam even one victory… Dad would never want his condition to hinder God’s plans. Please take advantage of this time to find Jesus. He loves you and He is waiting for you to come to Him. Don’t delay, trust me… life happens fast.