In October of 2000, I had a car accident. My vehicle left the roadway on a country road and hit a telephone pole. My injuries resulted in a punctured lung and various broken bones. My head shattered the windshield. The motor was pushed into the car almost touching the seats. People find it hard to believe that anybody came away alive from it. I was the sole occupant. I have no memory of the accident whatsoever except for a glimpse of driving through a town before getting on the rural roads. That was probably about 15 minutes or so before the accident. I have no visual memory but I do remember my mind shouting; "I'm going to die!"

I was shown that our arguing and fighting are not what God intends for us. And, that we are meant to love and help one another. I felt deep shame at this. I've often wondered about the meaning of many things. I was allowed the answers although I wasn't allowed to bring this knowledge back with me. I retain the knowledge that it was shown to me. There is a reason for everything from the smallest drop of rain to every last grain of sand in the deserts. I was shown the reason for everything in the matter of a couple of seconds. I'm not surprised that I didn't retain the knowledge. To say that man simply cannot comprehend the greatest of God is more than an understatement. I feel privileged that he allowed me a glimpse into his greatness. I don't remember having a life review as in other accounts, but I was given the realization that God knew everything about me, every atom in my body and every thought that had ever crossed my mind. He sees through to my pure essence and knows me better than I know myself.

My reaction, after all of this had been shown to me, is that I am filled with deep sorrow and sadness. I thought, "I wish I had done more with my life." Immediately after that thought the experience ended. I remember nothing further until the hospital. I believe that it was indeed my time to die then, but that God gave me another chance. I hope I can do more. It seems as if life can make it pretty hard down here sometimes. I'll hold onto my faith and hope.

My beliefs haven't changed since this happened. I haven't been mainstream for years. I have always had a deep faith in God, but not much in organized religions. It seems a lot of them may be more concerned with the size of their coffers than with actually benefiting mankind's souls, and helping them to grow spiritually. I don't think God cares what denomination you are at all or if you even believe in one, it's as long as you live your life trying to be a good person and help others. I think religions that tell you to believe what they believe or you'll go to hell ought to be ashamed of it. It's mind boggling that people kill others due to religious differences. You would think that they could look into their hearts and see that it's wrong. It's the exact opposite of what God wants.