Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at His footstool; for He is holy.

Moses and Aaron were among His priests, and Samuel was among those who called upon His name;

They called upon the LORD, and He answered them.

Psalms 99:6-7

Have you ever considered the accessibility of God? Whether we are thankful or in need or simply filled with joy, He is always near us when we are walking in His ways, and we therefore have total and immediate access to Him whenever we need or desire His attention. This fact has been brought to my attention on several occasions in recent days, and the comfort that I and those I love have experienced is nothing short of incredible.

Late Saturday evening we got the message that my brother-in-law had been in an accident. He was by himself in a shop that he and his wife own a few miles from their house. He was straightening up some stuff on a set of shelves that were high above the floor. A large piece of equipment became dislodged and struck the ladder he was on, causing him to plunge about ten feet. His impact was so hard when he hit, that he lost both his glasses and his cell phone. His family and friends later found them scattered on the floor some distance from his fall.

After Ken hit, he experienced two things - sharp pains coming from his face and shoulder, and the loss of a great deal of blood. Since his shop is located in an area that is somewhat isolated from people, he had to walk and crawl as best he could to where his old truck was parked. When he finally got into his truck, he was faced with the fact that it was a manual shift, and he couldn't even get the thing into gear. After about ten minutes of struggling, he finally did get the truck in gear and began the slow ride home. He then had to walk and crawl to the house where he was able to get the door open, only to collapse onto the floor when he finally did.

And that's where his wife Janet found him!

Imagine coming upon the scene of your husband, lying in your doorway and covered in blood. It's a nightmare that most only hope they never even have to experience in their dreams much less in reality, but there he was, barely recognizable with a battered face and lying in a heap of blood-soaked clothing!

Well, it does get better from this point. Janet was able to get Ken to a chair and begin a combination of damage assessment and triage. She got the bleeding mostly stopped and then got his face cleaned up a little. His cheek was swollen horribly and, at first, they thought his jaw was broken. They got him to the emergency room where he got all the scans and x-rays that you would expect one would need in such a situation. I suppose he got more than his fair share of stitches, if the pictures we later received were any indication. Amongst those pictures was a pile of bloodied clothing that probably didn't have more than a square inch or two that was not covered with his blood. The photos of the floor of his shop looked like a crime scene, with pools of blood and equipment scattered everywhere.

At first, one might think that Ken is lucky to be alive, but I doubt that luck had anything to do with it. From the moment he fell, he had access to the only One who can help - and help perfectly, in any situation. When Janet came upon him, there was the comforting presence of the nearness of our God whom she, too, was able to call upon. When Carolyn and I heard of his accident as he was in route to the emergency room, we sat down and asked for the help that only God can give. I know that scene was repeated by a number of family members and friends as soon as they were notified of his situation.

To make this already long story, short, it is sufficient to say that Ken got off light considering the severity and danger of his accident. He has a broken cheek, but his jaw appears to be intact. He has a round of doctor appointments to access the internal damage, and he may have a surgery or two on the horizon, but maybe not. He has access to competent doctors, and a loving wife who will make sure he gets the ones he needs and that he does what they tell him. More importantly, he has a host of family and friends who are praying to the One who already knows what He needs and who also has the power to make sure He gets it.

It is at times such as this that I get a small glimpse of just how blessed we are to have a loving God to call upon when we are experiencing our greatest needs. We have had many such times of need, and I'm sure that you yourself have had situations that were far more serious than this particular one. Yet, God has always been near, and He has always given us the opportunity to seek His help whenever we have had the sense to ask for it. It is true that things do not always work out the way we want (I'm sure Ken would have far preferred that he had never been knocked off that ladder in the first place) but God does not always give us an explanation - nor does He owe us one.

The bottom line is this: God is near to those who are near to Him. Furthermore, He not only gives us an immediate response, but He also gives us the best one. We have not earned the right to this great blessing, but He has given it to us despite the fact that we don't deserve it. Since this is true, perhaps we should take advantage of another benefit of His being so near: perhaps we should be taking this opportunity to thank Him!