"CHANCES" how many do we get or take????? How many meaning does such a powerful word mean????

This was my High school Graduation present from my Dad...I LOVED this car...it was a shiny Red, sporty, fast, fun, Firebird.......I had to beg for "this" car....My family grew up on Honda Accords...my Father was a manager at the Honda plant in Marysville OH...so he got free and discounted cars.....I wanted a RED sports car ;) Dad caved in (I should have stuck with the safe Honda;)

The Day is still a blur to me..I was 19 and on my way home from college. It was a bright sunny day, dry roads....I was a mile away from my house and BAM..I can not remember what happened...I woke up with people around my car banging and pulling on the door....I could hear talking but it was like out of a Charlie Brown cartoon (wahwahwah) then I faded back to sleep.....the next thing I woke up in an ambulance and (my ex-boyfriends) brother looking down at me and asking me my name (which I thought was strange...he KNOWS my name) and continued doing the 50 questions on me...he was doing anything to keep me from going back to sleep...then I FREAKED...I went up to my face to scratch and BLOOD everywhere (I had a white button down shirt on, which did not help any, when you are bleeding) I thought for sure I had lost my whole face....I was strapped to a bed and losing it!! I bet the paramedics wished I stayed a sleep : )

Luckily, I just needed some stitches in my face and not any plastic surgery...I almost lost my finger...so had stitches in 2 fingers and some torn skin of my hips and shoulder from the seat belt...I really do believe God was with me that day....at the age of 19, I NEVER wore my seat belt or sunglasses...BUT that day I had both on...which kept me from flying out of the car and the glasses kept the glass out of my eyes.....I found out in the hospital that I caused the crash and another guy was involved...I turned right in front of him while he was going 60mph...he was an older gentlemen doing his job driving a telephone utility truck....I was sobbing my eyes out knowing that I hurt someone else and all I wanted to do was go tell him how sorry I was ....my Dad said no because of lawsuit reasons........WELL later that night I get a call from the older, sweet gentleman and asking if I was OK, so I got the "chance" to tell him how sorry I was, even tho I to this day don't really understand what happened....I either fell asleep or was in a deep thought!!! I still battle with flash backs from the wreck.....anyone who is in a car with me...knows I cringe at snow, ice, rain, stops....I am a annoying passenger ; )

The whole point of this post is I was GIVEN another "chance" but I question how many "chances" do we get...really we live day by day and that is scary to me!!! The word "chance" can mean so many different terms....You could be stuck in a horrible/non-healthy relationship....do you take the "chance" of things getting better or do you take a "chance" of throwing it all away and starting new and maybe it would be wonderful or not???? When you are in a race and riding your bike "comfortably"..do you take the "chance" of not hitting your aimed time and being unhappy or do you take the "chance" of hammering out to reach your time, and HAPPY results!!!! Do you do smaller tri races, because you fear the swim on the longer course races, or do you take the "chance" and somehow make it through the swim,,,,,knowing once you are out of the water you are fine and DID it ; )

I have been thinking of all the "chances" I am given...I started back running since battling knee pain since October.......and while I am out there running...I think of my knee pain before it actually kicks in (I some times think I cause my own pain)...then I start thinking "why me" I need to be able to run...because that is when my "mind" is in a good place......Then the next day repeats itself...I think OK...I know if I run my knee will hurt..but it will clear my mind...DO I "chance"it or not???? Hell, ya I am going to "chance" it......I am lucky I have a knee to have pain in.....I think we get caught up with being too "COMFORTABLE " with life tasks and we are afraid of taking "chances" I am more of a "THINKER" than a "DOER" and I really want to change that in me...and by taking "chances" will help that!!!

We all get the "chance" to live and we would not know how to live if we don't take "chances" Some will be good and some will be bad....but we won't know unless we "CHANCE"

IT CAN MAKE US OR BREAK US!!!!!