What We Can Learn from Lindsey Vonn's Crushing Crash
By Lisa Hutchcraft Whitmer
Seeking to rise above a previous injury, Lindsey Vonn's downhill skiing crash at the Olympics left her nearly losing a leg, and needing a blood transfusion.
While hearing her talk about how she almost lost her leg, she referred to something called "compartment syndrome." Lindsey proceeded to say how, "Compartment syndrome is when you have so much trauma to one area of your body that there's too much blood and it gets stuck... it basically crushes everything in the compartment. So, all the muscle and nerves and tendons, it all kind of dies."
The body's reaction to great trauma can end up getting stuck and crushing everything. A big hit and part of us begins to die inside.
What about that trauma done to you? Maybe as a child... teenager... adult. That abuse. The abandonment. The lack of genuine love and affection. The betrayal. The heartbreak. The emotional or physical scars.
Even now, it still feels like everything in your "compartment" is crushed. It seems too much trauma has caused part of you to die. You can hardly breathe as you remember.
There's only one way to save that body part.
Lindsey proceeded to explain how the "Doctor... saved my leg from being amputated... he cut open both sides of my leg, let it breathe and he saved me."
There's only one Doctor who can help rescue that hurting, bleeding compartment that's being crushed inside you.
You and I are not made to carry the load of hurt from the choices of others that has impacted our life. Or maybe we're on the other side and have made choices that have crushed the heart and spirit of someone we love or know.
The world is full of people walking around with about-to-be-amputated parts of them, because we haven't sought help to cut open that compartment... to let it breathe... to let it heal. Only outside help can rescue what's being crushed inside.
That's what Jesus came to earth to do. To offer hope and life for those smashed places. To give breath to those hurting compartments.
"Lisa, I don't want anything to do with Jesus." "A religious person is the exact one who caused the crushing!" "I've made it this long, I've got this."
We can try every other possible way to avoid having that leg cut open. But we will lose it. Death in that body part means amputation. No more life. No more hope for blood flowing healthily.
If a religious person hurt you, that's not right. I don't know their story, and a person's story never justifies their actions. Some are religious, but never truly yield to God and let Him drive their life. Friend, that's not Jesus. I'm sorry they didn't represent Him well.
And if you think Jesus is the furthest thing you want in your life, maybe if you give Him a good look... you might see who He is. The One who made you. The One who knows everything about you. The One who loves you. The One who offers you hope. The One who offers life each day we walk this earth. The One who extends life for all eternity, when we choose to put all our trust in Him.
That's the moment our crushed places breathe.
The only Healer. Bringing life and breath to our crushing pain.
When we turn to Him and cry out, He hears us! You can simply say something like, "Jesus, I'm pinning all my hopes on You. I'm sorry for doing life my way. I turn to You - would You save my crushed places and make me new. Thank You, God, for forgiving me and making me Your child."
I encourage you to choose Jesus today. Let Him heal you, and save your "leg." Let Him save your life.