What a Fall Off a Roof Taught Me About God - a Guest Post from Brittany Pennel

I am delighted to have my friend Brittany Pennel joining me here on the blog today! You may remember her from episodes 54 and 55 of the Home and Hearth Podcast when she came on the show to share about thriving with joy through anxiety. Today I’m happy to be able to share her words with you here, in her first guest post for the blog.

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Hey guys! I’m so honored that Rebekah asked me to guest post on her blog! When she asked me to guest post for her, I knew right away that it was a God thing. I mean, I had just fallen off a roof a couple months before! I hadn’t done much writing in a long time but had been learning so much from God through it.

So, let’s talk about that day first.

The Accident

June 22, 2019. I was on the roof of our house that my husband and I are building. I was installing some rafters, and my husband was a few feet from me on a ladder. There was a warped board that was giving us heck and from my end, I put all the strength I had into trying to straighten it out a bit. I leaned a little too far, pushed a little too hard.

My nail came loose and my hammer and nail went flying. Then, I did too. I fell head first over the edge of the roof, and landed on a concrete retaining wall. My husband moved FAST but didn’t quite make it to me before I hit. I tried standing up as he got to me, and I fell over into his arms. Literally. I couldn’t stand or walk. Derek called the paramedics and they got to us in about 8 minutes but because we live kinda secluded on a backroad, my husband had to leave to go down the road and guide the medics in. It was SUPER hot out that day, and I was feeling exhausted at this point.

I laid in our camper and cried, cried, cried. I begged God to not let me die. I just kept catching my breath as I could and crying out to God. Now, I’ve been a believer for a long time, but that was a first for me.

A few of the medics went over to measure the depth of my fall while the others loaded me on the stretcher into the ambulance. I had fallen 8 feet. I never did lose consciousness, and my blood pressure readings were perfect. The doctor and nurses who cared for me in the trauma center were pretty bewildered about how close I was to the entire situation being different. They said I could have broken my back or died if I had landed just a matter of inches higher up on my back.

I felt a peace throughout the whole trauma. A peace that surpassed anything I could fathom. I went to church the morning after my accident. Derek tried convincing me to stay home because of the condition I was in. But friends, I am a stubborn and determined woman. I limped into church, with much assistance from my incredible husband basically carrying me. I cried like a small child in the middle of service because I was an emotional wreck and my whiplash hurt something awful. I had many hands laid on me in prayer. I left service in a wheelchair because I had done too much by trying to walk, and my breath was as shaky as my body. I was a whirlwind of emotions but with a fierce combination of grit, gratitude and grace.

The Aftermath

I spent the next week learning how to walk on my own. It was hard to stay focused and hard to feel awake. Blessedly, I had friends taking me to chiropractor appointments since I couldn’t drive, bringing cooked meals and praying fiercely for me every moment of the day. I thought I was a pretty selfless person…a pretty grateful person. And while that’s true, I am both of those things, I had no idea what it looked like to truly have a servant’s heart until I saw everyone come together to make life still happen semi-normally for me and my family.

I was surrounded by people who honestly loved without borders and without expectations. They love because Christ loves them. They were the hands and feet of Jesus in a time that was really trying for me mentally, emotionally, and physically. And they did it because that’s what we are supposed to do as Christ-followers.

My life changed forever on that day. And, although I can walk on my own and do life pretty normally again now, I’ll forever have physical scars all over my body from that day. I work every day to get past PTSD symptoms.

What I Learned

So what has God taught me through all this and even just today? I’ve learned that I’m far from a preacher, but I am indeed a believer. I’ve learned that through super hard things it’s incredibly important to keep my faith – as hard as that is some days. My heart has been completely transformed, and I want more than anything to love on others, show compassion to the weak or wounded, show friends that God is the real deal and I need him every day. I’m a completely different person than I was a few months ago.

What I know without a doubt in my mind is that the nails Jesus endured on that cross are undoubtedly the reason I could overcome the nail that caused my fall. I know that my fall was temporary because I’m a coheir to the throne He sits on. I know I wasn’t alone, and I won’t ever be. Christ was beaten so I would be unbeatable when I walk with Him. When I look back on my accident, I can see how present He was.

What I Want You to Know

You may be wondering how a good God could let bad things happen. That’s a valid feeling and question that I’ve had, too. Here’s what I know about that: without my accident happening, I wouldn’t be anywhere near the woman I am today as I sit here writing this. I’ve been Renewed. Redeemed. Refreshed. Strengthened. I’ve been loved on so well by others who have shown me what it’s like to actually LOVE. I’ve been given new reasons to love every single day and to SEE how beautiful life is.

I hope if you have taken away anything from my story, that you’ll pop on IG or FB and share it with me in a message! God is on the move in a BIG way, and it would sure be super cool if YOU were a part of that!!

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Brittany Pennel is a wife, mama, blogger, and Christ-follower who is passionate about encouraging women with the truth that they can thrive with joy even in the midst of anxiety and hard seasons of life. You can follow along with her on Instagram and Facebook.