Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT)
By Beverly Lomosad
Geralyn Ritter was texting with her husband, Jonathan, while on a train on her way home to New Jersey at the end of her work day at about 9pm on May 12, 2015. “Home soon – can’t wait to see you guys,” said the pharmaceutical executive and mother of three. Geralyn never made it home that day. Going 106 miles per hour (mph) on a sharp curve, where it was supposed to slow down to a maximum speed of 50mph, Amtrak 188 derailed, leaving eight people dead and more than 200 injured, 11 critically, including Geralyn, who was seated in the business class on the first car of the train. The crash quickly hit the headlines and reached Jonathan, who rushed to where it occurred just outside of Pennsylvania. There, he spent the night searching unsuccessfully for Geralyn.
As the sun rose the next day, Jonathan got word about a crash victim who had been life-flighted to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and identified only as Jane Doe. Geralyn was the Jane Doe. Her injuries were so severe Jonathan was unable to recognize her until doctors brought to him her belongings and jewelry for identification. She was immobilized when she awoke from a coma three days later, only able to communicate by blinking her eyes. She was in tremendous pain too. Doctors used screws and plates to repair Geralyn’s body in multiple surgeries. She stayed in the hospital for five weeks before she received an all-clear to go home, relying on a wheelchair to navigate around. By September – four months after the crash – she was able to walk short distances. Her road to recovery was arduous and long.
“The crash strengthened my faith in so many ways. I know, with every fiber of my being that I wouldn’t have made it through without my faith. There were too many moments that were so hard, and there were too many moments where I thought, ‘I can’t keep doing this,’” said Geralyn in her book, Bone by Bone, in which she tells her faith story, details the long-lasting impact of sudden trauma, and offers hope as one who has been there and back.
She added: “Over and over, we just gave thanks that I was still alive. And we held on to that as our gratitude. Whether I could walk again, it didn’t matter. I struggle with the word ‘miracle’ because, to me, it’s a complicated word. I prefer the word ‘grace’ – meaning, an undeserved gift. Those eight people didn’t deserve to die any more than I deserved to live. I was given a gift, and I can accept a gift.”
“Count your blessings,” goes an 1897 hymn rooted in the Judaism practice of finding joy and dispelling discouragement by aiming to identify 100 blessings throughout each day. And here’s what the Bible teaches about the will of God: always keep a joyful, prayerful, grateful spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
CALL TO ACTION
A life with God starts with a relationship with Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
- PRAY OUT LOUD: “Father in heaven, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I believe that he died on the cross for my sins. I ask you to forgive me of all of my sins. I believe in my heart that God raised Jesus from the dead and confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Savior and Lord. Amen.”
- WHAT’S NEXT: Be part of a good, Bible-based church.
Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the New International Version of the Bible.