My great friend, Monica, and I went skiing in Utah today. It was a wonderfully snowy day. The sun was not shining. The wind was blowing. The snow was deep. And the air was a balmy 27 degrees. On 131 inches of mountain powder, we spent five hours and 62 dollars going up and coming down a 10,000 foot Wasatch mountain. At the end of our day, we were satisfied, exhausted, and ready for a warm cup of hot cocoa...but not so fast. Someone had other plans.
Because of the snow and the wind and the cold, our very fulfilling day on the mountain turned into a rather frustrating drive down. Bumper-to-bumper we rode, taking over an hour to travel what normally takes a mere 20 minutes. We joked it would be better to ditch the truck and ski down the mountain. Not to be bested by the elements, we followed suit with the rest of humanity. Just then, disaster struck.
Forced into submission by the inching vehicles ahead of us, we soon found ourselves in a not-so-great situation. Void, did you know it is possible to get in an accident traveling too slowly? I didn't. Two cars ahead of us, a small four-door was obviously causing an issue. At 2 mph, our Trailblazer wasn't fit for the job. Going downhill, riding on slush, with a ton of weight, a slippery situation ensued. Before we knew it, our vehicle just...slipped. Right into the railing. Just like that. It was as if we were an egg that had just been cracked into a frying pan. SLIP! And there we were. Me, my great friend, a guard rail, and a very steep cliff. I have to tell you, I was a little scared out of my mind. I was also praising God for road construction men who know exactly where to put the railings.
I'm not going to explain what happened next. Long story short - Monica, with skill and adaptability, was able to guide the vehicle back onto the road safely, and here I sit today...alive to tell the Void about it.
In the past month, I've been in two could-have-been-nearly-fatal-under-other-circumstances car incidents and one slightly not-so-fatal fender bender. As I look back on the past month: a ditch mishap, a rear-view mirror mistake, and the guard rail rendezvous, I am happy to report that in each situation all parties (myself, driver, and any other vehicles involved) were unhurt and only temporarily shaken. I am happy and grateful.
Everyday our very life is on a balance. It only takes one accident and that's it. EVERY TIME you get into a moving vehicle, whether that be a car, a truck, an ATV, or a canoe, you are putting your life at risk. You are putting your life in the hands of the operator of that vehicle and in the hands of all the other drivers on the road...or lake I suppose. 99 out of 100 times, you are just fine. But it only takes once and that's it. You're history.
I, for one, am thankful for guard rails today. Even more-so I'm thankful I have a Lord and Savior who loves me. Tomorrow when I get into a moving vehicle, I'm going to say a prayer. "Dear God, keep me safe on my way." Perhaps accidents (and just near-ones) are God's way of getting us to talk to him more. I'm okay with that and am looking forward to the day I get to talk to him face-to-face and personally thank him for all the times he sent some angels to keep my car on the road.
On this snowy night in Utah, I pray you, Void, have some angels keeping you safe on your road. Safe travels!
