No Warning // Rob & Cathi Fly
Author: peopleof1910
June 16, 2017
We are Rob and Cathi Fly and this is our story. On May 31, 2013 Rob was in a life altering accident that left him disabled with a traumatic brain injury. As most of these stories start out, it was a normal morning running errands and doing his thing with no thought that his life was about to drastically change. While he was stopped on Hwy 46 waiting to turn into our neighborhood a car topped the hill and hit him head on. No warning…no way to escape it. We will never know what went through his mind those split seconds before impact because it left him non-responsive. Rob was air lifted to the hospital, was in a coma for 11 days, spent two weeks in ICU and several months in and out of hospitals and re-hab centers. He was not aware of his condition for several months due to the injury to his brain. Sounds really grim doesn't it? But it's not all bad news. Here's the rest of what happened.
God was all over it before it ever happened. Angels stood in front of his Jeep and held him in from flying about. Neighbors ran out of their homes and without fear jumped in beside him and held his body from seizing and causing further damage. Witnesses, that traveled behind and were calling the authorities as the other driver was weaving all over the road, were nurses and doctors. Because the Sheriff’s department was notified they were in pursuit of the vehicle and getting close, which put them on the scene in minutes and emergency units were called immediately. Rob lived because God said He would, and He prepared the way in every detail.
This has been a struggle. I'm not going deny that it has been hard, and we've had many questions and disappointments. It has affected our children deeply and we have faced and still face, great sadness and loss. So much has been taken from Rob, yet he continues to worship, pray and move forward. God knows him, even if most days we don’t, but we are beginning each day to see glimpses of Rob rising to the surface. As far as our marriage is concerned, there were so many things about Rob’s previous personality that caused me to wince, take cover and fight against. I know he felt the same way about me. Our marriage for many years was an ebb and flow of good and bad, a mixture of turmoil and intense love. We spent a lot of time working on our marriage and many times we both felt like we were failing.
All the times I spent wishing he would change, that he was someone else, have come back to slap me in the face. I would give anything to have that man back again. But this is the man I have now and what I’m left with is a simple and pure love that defines explanation. Old grievances and grudges have lost their foothold and complete respect and compassion for Rob have taken their place. I never would have asked for healing in our marriage to come in this form. But it has and I have to trust that this must have been the best way, or maybe the only way that it would happen. That makes me feel ashamed a little, wondering if Rob and I were so stubborn and prideful in our marriage roles that God had no choice but to allow this tragic event to happen.
I don’t think this was God’s plan. I think this is how God is using what happened to Rob, to us, and our family for good – even if it doesn’t always feel like it. We’ve been given many opportunities in these last four years since Rob’s accident. We have had the opportunity to see God’s word come to life in our lives and the opportunity to experience His love, mercy, and grace for us in ways we never knew or expected. We have seen a humanity and goodness in people as they have reached out to us and blessed us beyond measure. We have also been given the opportunity to forgive. The young woman who caused the accident should not have been driving. She consciously drove without a driver’s license, she had no insurance and she was negligent behind the wheel with little to no consequence. Yet again, God is enough. Our hope is not in the legal system, the financial institutions or even in our own ideas of justice. Our hope is in Jesus and only through Him, not ourselves, are we able to find peace and put aside bitterness and anger and live a purposeful and fulfilled life.
Regardless of our circumstances, we try to take each day one at a time now. Rob lives a much more simple and serene life than he did before. The one thing that has flourished and grown ever deeper is his unashamed worship, praise, and trust in the Lord. He is God’s man and right where he is supposed to be. That is where we lay our trust. It is enough.
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