In 2016 Hannah Peterson was involved in a serious car accident just one month before her wedding in Ontario. She broke her pelvis in three places, punctured a kidney, broke some ribs, and suffered a concussion and partial hearing loss during the July 18 collision.
Despite being confined to a wheelchair, Hannah was determined not to let the accident affect her big day on August 25. So when it came time to walk down the aisle, Hannah's father wheeled her part of the way down, and then her fiancé, Stuart, tenderly carried her in his arms the rest of the way. Hannah, 23, who along with her now-husband is originally from Northern Ireland, said that despite her predicament, the only emotion she allowed herself to feel on her wedding day was joy. "Obviously, being in the wheelchair and not able to walk was very upsetting for me on my wedding day," she told reporters. Because of her injuries, Hannah sat during most of the ceremony, but wanted to stand for one very important part. "I was determined to stand for my vows," she said. "It was hard on me to stand for that long even with Stuart holding me up, but it doesn't seem obvious in the pictures and video the pain I was in." Hannah continued to heal in the months subsequent to the wedding day. She is now able to walk around the house using a cane. She added: "Stuart has never left my side during all of this … He was strong for both of us. He always made me see how blessed I was." I believe this is a powerful word picture for us. We, too, were wounded by sin and helpless, but God came to our aid and carried us into a loving relationship with Himself. During this month that typically focuses upon love – Valentine’s Day – let us remember the remarkable, inexpressible, unfathomable, unconditional love that God expresses to us in his Son, Jesus. Romans 8:38 reminds us, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Keep the faith, Tony |
AuthorOriginally from Huntington Beach, CA, Tony received his Bachelor's degree in religion from USC and his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry from Talbot School of Theology. Tony loves spending time with his wife, Sheri, and their two sons and daughter (Bryce, Braden, and Brooke); cheering for the USC Trojan football team; and playing tennis. Archives
August 2019
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