Miraculous Survival: the Healing Journey Continues -- Part 2

(This is Part 2 of a two-part story on the miraculous events that took place among the Post family and others following a highway collision with a semi. To read Part 1, click here.)


As Owen, Aiden, and Jon Post continued to recover from a tragic accident, new challenges arose, including spiritual and emotional struggles.

OWEN

Owen was in a need of a miracle. Described as a “quiet soul,” by his father, Jon, Owen was feeling the weight of coming out of the accident with only sore muscles, while his father and brother, Aiden, had disfiguring, life-threatening injuries.

“It was survivor’s guilt and the PTSD that came with that,” Owen says. “I had those images in my mind — their faces how they were after the accident . . . it was hard to sleep, and I kept hearing sirens.”

Authorities later determined that Owen’s actions that night saved his father’s and brother’s lives. If Owen had veered to his right, they would all have died as the semi would have broadsided the van at full speed — the impact happened so quickly that no skid marks (meaning brakes not applied) from the truck or the van were left prior to the collision.

Through the prayers of countless others and his own, Owen now has peace about the accident. He’s also found himself to be a more intentional Christian.

“Ever since the accident, I’ve become a lot more open when it comes to my religion and me exploring things about God, praying more, thinking more of my actions and how physical work is related to spiritual work,” Owen explains. “I am more than here to work and help out, I’m here to work for my God and glorify Him.”

“That night (of the accident), he (Owen) prayed to forgive the semi driver,” Jon says. “That speaks volumes as to God already ministering to him that night.”

JON

As Jon regained his cognitive abilities, his initial thoughts and prayers were focused on his sons, Aiden and Owen. However, as he began to wonder about his and Aiden’s future limitations, mentally and physically, those thoughts blossomed into a battleground for spiritual warfare in his life.

“I had to engage the Lord to help me defeat Satan trying to stir things inside of me — the fear of not being adequate, not being enough,” Jon says humbly. “I went from the dad who mowed the lawn, fixed cars, laid floors, did plumbing, and other odd jobs to being a dad that can’t do all those things . . . was I still going to be the husband my wife desired, the dad my kids desired, was I was going to be able to take care of a beautiful young man that went through so much?”

Following the tragedy, Jon also struggled with a multitude of “why” questions, especially when it came to Aiden.

“It was an attack of the enemy,” he says. “I needed to allow God’s joy to penetrate where I was because I was really walking in a dark and fearful place.”

Jon, who stepped down as pastor at Calvary Church, but was able to return to his IT position (working from home) in March, still has some physical healing taking place as his arm’s muscles still need strengthening and he uses a cane due to developing issues with his knee. However, he and Aiden have returned to being a part of the worship team at a nearby church in Peoria, Church 2:14 — the church they attended just prior to Jon becoming pastor of Calvary Church.

“Even though I don’t have all the answers,” Jon says, “I trust in God’s perfect plan and His will, and whatever that may be, I’m still a child of God . . . God still needs to be worshipped and glorified, as at the end of the day, our time on earth is short, while our time in heaven is for eternity, and that’s what we all need to keep our eyes focused on — even when it’s hard.”

AIDEN

Before the accident, Aiden was an optimistic, faith-filled individual with an evangelistic disposition. Following the accident, if anything, those attributes only increased. Even when his cognitive abilities and physical abilities were greatly impacted, his compassion towards others and his faith in God only seemed more prominent.

“I try to look for a hope and a future and continue pushing into the work to be better,” explains Aiden, who is still legally blind, “which originally made me think of the verse in Jeremiah, that God’s plans are to give you a hope and a future — that Scripture has been a firm foundation for me as I’ve gone through these past several months . . . God’s the Author of your days and He’s the Decider of the time when He wants to do things in your life.”

Carol confirms that Aiden’s statements of faith aren’t just bravado.

“It’s this deep knowing that (God is going to heal him) I see in him that is phenomenal . . . it’s this trust,” Carol says. “Sometimes we say we trust the Lord and then we find ourselves begging God, but Aiden has never done that — he just knows.”

“The Holy Spirit has helped me maintain faith and just believe and trust in God that He will restore me,” Aiden states.

Dawn Kellem coaches boys and girls cross country at Richwoods High School, where Aiden attended. She also leads a Youth for Christ program. In her home she has two huge wall photos, one includes Aiden.

“I believe it was his junior year, Aiden initiated a team prayer before meets,” Kellen says. “The picture is of Aiden with about 20 or 25 of his teammates in a circle, praying. That legacy continues as boys he led to Christ now lead the team in prayer and this year, the girls have started praying before meets — that all started with Aiden.”

In June, Aiden had surgery to replace the missing piece of his skull with a thermoplastic polymer (PEEK). Surgeons declared the operation a success and since that time, Aiden has seen additional physical and mental improvements.

“Aiden is just so full of joy,” Carol adds. “He’s thankful he can see (partially) out of his right eye — he’s legally blind, but he’s not mad at God or bitter . . . the enemy can’t steal that joy from him and I think that’s the biggest testimony.”

CAROL

Carol says that from the very beginning of this difficult journey, God has given her a supernatural peace and confidence to trust in Him, enabling her to make specific requests for healings and share her faith and trust in God.

“You need to be willing to share those requests,” she says. “Longsuffering is a fruit of the Spirit. We like to see miracles happen quickly, but God gives people faith in the waiting. And when we live it out in the hard days, we become a witness to a lot of people who see you go through the struggle, admit it is a struggle, but still cling to the Lord.”

“All of the weight fell to Carol and she did an amazing job, and that goes to the importance of the balance of the heart of God residing in a family,” Jon says. “She did bear the brunt, but my oldest son, Chase, also grew tremendously as a man as he grew into the leadership role and in doing so brought a lot of help to my wife — such a beautiful, redeeming quality telling of how God works in situations.”

IMPACT

As much as the accident has impacted the Post family, the resulting ripples have swept through extended family, friends, classmates, churches, business associates, the community, and the countless numbers directly or indirectly following online.

“The night the accident happened, I was with 40 to 50 kids at our church attending a Christmas program,” says Kellem. “The next night, we had 50 students, teachers, administrators in my house praying for Aiden . . . multiple kids there were not walking with Christ, and one in particular prayed five times out loud for Aiden.”

And shortly after the group prayed for Aiden’s spine (as they were praying specifically for every part of his body), they received a message from Carol — Aiden was not going to be paralyzed.

“The kids were so excited — God still does miracles!” Kellem declares. “So many came to Christ (due to God’s work in the Posts’ lives).”

Heather Toews (pronounced Taves) is co-lead pastor of Church 2:14 and has known Aiden for four years, as he has attended the church’s youth group. She says the impact of what has taken place through God in Aiden’s life has been monumental for the church.

“There were many in the youth group who’ve never experienced anything like this,” she says. “That first night, they all wanted to be together. They met at a families’ home and we sat together worshipping, praying, pouring our hearts out, asking God to rescue Aiden. When we got the update that his heart was beating again, imagine the rejoicing! The memory brings me to tears — kids got to experience crying out to the Lord and see God answer every prayer we prayed.”

Several fundraisers were also held by businesses and community members over the past months to help with the medical bills — which already exceed $2 million. These fundraisers also gave opportunity for testimonies to be shared and lives influenced for Christ.

And possibly the most significant impact took place at Aiden’s school. Kids, including Christians and those who were not, gathered to pray for Aiden.

“There were even kids who had previously objected to athletes praying prior to competition who showed up to pray for Aiden,” Carol says. “Kids also put up ‘Pray for Aiden’ posters all over the school. Christian kids were boldly declaring their faith and seeing that they can pray bold prayers and see God can answer those bold prayers!”

Kellem, who says Aiden always wore cool ‘Jesus’ T-shirts to school and was a ready witness, recalls the excitement and encouragement teachers, administrators, and students felt the first time Aiden came back to school — to applause, cheers, and the band playing as he arrived.

“Teachers, administrators, students just seeing Aiden get out of that car when weeks before he couldn’t even move was just such a blessing to us all,” Kellem says.

Carol adds that the first time Aiden visited jazz band practice, the band broke out singing “Our God is an Awesome God.”

And Toews, whose son Bennett is good friends with Aiden, shares how her son played hockey the day after the accident. When teammates noticed he seemed down, they asked about it, and he was able to share about Aiden.

“In the past, Bennett always led a team prayer at the end of the game at center ice, but only two other players would join him,” Toews says. “But that night, the whole team came to pray with him. Three of them asked if they could come to church with Bennett and two have since given their lives to Jesus.”

MOVING FORWARD

In August, Aiden began attending classes at nearby Central Illinois College. He says he contemplated attending Called College located in Carlinville, Illinois, but is waiting on God’s timing to give him the capabilities to do so. He also has continuing doctor visits as his recovery progresses.

However, through this miraculous journey, Aiden has an even stronger drawing to ministry.

“I feel more encouragement to do something in a church for my future job, which could be worship leading,” he says. “I’ve felt possibly being a youth pastor would also be good.”

Although still having some short-term memory struggles and being considered legally blind, Aiden’s love for music also continues, working hard to regain his excellence in playing his saxophone and guitar.

And through this all, Aiden has been given a new appreciation for his family.

“Just hearing about how my family would pray for me and they were all speaking over me and prophesying that I would get better, it has really left a good memory,” he says. “It has definitely put a new kind of identity to them as to what I think of my family — they’ve become deeper and more meaningful to me.”

And as Carol says, “God is good — He can be trusted. He’s the only one who can turn things around — there’s no other place we can put our hope in . . . prayer works!”