this thursday

Happy Thursday, everyone.

This Thursday I feel a bit more appreciative of life. I know I talk about my friends a lot on here, but it's because I realize it's a rare thing to have so many close ones, and I don't ever want to take that blessing in my life for granted.

Genuine friends that I've had many deep conversations with. Friends I've cried with, shared heartbreak with, prayed with, and experienced growing up with.

And yesterday, one of those friends was in a plane crash.

It's a little unique because he's a pilot and he was flying his own plane. Last summer he did a transcontinental flight for his senior thesis. My sister and several of our friends have flown with him.

He's ok - I guess I should have mentioned that already! He's having surgery sometime today because he has severe face trauma, but he got out of the plane and even called his dad right after he crashed.

But I was just on my laptop, paying a bill, when my mom came in and said "Collin has crashed his plane."

And for a second, it felt like everything paused. The same thing happened a lot last fall when my PawPaw was so terribly sick. Every time we got a phone call and I saw my aunts or uncle's number on the caller ID there was a pause. A moment of you're either about to give me some more information or you're going to crush my heart.

"He's bruised and bloody but he was coherent. They're life flighting him to Vanderbilt."

Vanderbilt means serious. Vanderbilt means a good place with amazing care.

And that night sitting in the sanctuary after church when most people had left, we were all on our phones (incredibly rare at our church, we don't even bring them inside most of the time) comparing text updates, getting informed, no longer overly worried, but concerned and grateful.

These are my people. And I know if something bad were to happen to me, it would be the same. Group texts, prayer requests and updates flying back and forth, pictures being sent to those not on social media, so much care and concern, but more than anything, so much prayer.

I wondered if it would be strange for me to post this for everyone to read, especially since every time I post something my friends text, email, or let me know somehow that they read it and especially loved such-and-such part of it. They also point out when I mention "a friend" told me or sent me something that they know who it was! But I truly am grateful for all of them, and I don't think it's weird for me to put that on here. They know. We don't act all awkward about how thankful we are for our friendships, and they know I love them. I do not ever want to take any of them for granted.
 

Please keep Collin and his family and girlfriend in your prayers as he goes through surgery today and the healing process afterwards. You can check out his "Vin Fiz 2" flight here - his plane, "Molly" is the one that crashed.