Monday morning I woke up to prepare myself like any normal day. I had to be at work by 9:00am, so that meant taking care of all our animals, eating, and getting ready. Now because we have so many dogs at our house (way too many) my Mom often gets up to help me get them outside to their yards. However, after we got all those little critters out where they belong, Mom didn’t go back to bed like she normally does. Instead she came up to me and told me - like only a mother can - how much she loved me and how much I meant to her. After she did, I told her that she should tell me this when I come home - and go back to bed so she would be rested. But “Mother knows best” as I would find out…

About 2:00pm that day I left for lunch down the road. The nearest fast food place is in the next city over; which is about 5 miles away. Because it is fairly close I don’t bother getting on the freeway but instead drive along the freeway on the “service road” which runs beside it. On the service road I can avoid getting on/off the traffic and all the other stuff that comes with it.

Anyway, my newest lunch favorite is the subway $5 foot long sandwich which provides a big enough meal to hold me over until dinner. But rather than eating it inside, I decided to go out to my car so I could listen to the “point of view” radio program while I ate. After finishing up the first half, I took it a step further and figured I could eat the second half on my way back to work.

Now this is the point where I should have caught myself. After all, I always laugh at people who talk on cellphones, text message, or put on makeup while they drive. Doing ANYTHING that distracts you from your driving not only mortally endangers yourself - but also the lives you might take around you.

Coming up over a hill I spilled a little of my sandwich in my lap - it was lettuce actually. Even though it can’t possibly satin you clothes I looked down to pick it up. That 2.5 seconds was all it took on that small road with no shoulder. My right front tire dropped off the road onto the dirt 4 inches below and caused the whole car to bounce a little. I looked up to see that I was approaching a cement drainage area in between the freeway and this service road. I had about 40ft to fix this - thank goodness no one else was on the road.

Despite the mental training I had given this kind of event - I slammed on the breaks and made a sharp turn to the left to get me back on the road. My breaks locked and I started to fishtail a toward the other side of the road (which was the same thing - but no cement). I turned back to the right even harder which cause me to almost go off the right side. Then one last turn to the left with everything I had - and the car left the road off a 8ft ledge toward the drainage ditch below. I had been going about 55-60 before I skid for 30 or so feet and nose-dived into the dirt - I didn’t even realize the danger I was in.

Upon impact my head slammed against the stirring wheel and I eyes shut for the next few seconds as I was thrown around before being knocked out. When I work up it was hard to open my eyes - I didn’t very much for the first 5-10 mins. My head hurt and a I just sat there while a lady that had watched the crash, stopped and called my Mom and Bose to tell them what had happened. After I could focus and had pulled myself together I tried to open the door - but it was smashed shut. luckily my window worked and I was able to roll it down and climb out though it. That was the first miracle. I was able to walk and all my body seemed to work fine.

Over the next hour or so the police, rescue workers, and EMT arrived and checked me and the wreckage. The only thing that I ended up with - was a good sized gash on the left of my forehead (which is almost healed now), a knot on the back, and a headache. The police told my boss, and the guy that came with her, that they couldn’t believe I was pretty much unscathed. They had seen less damage and the people not even surviving.

I didn’t roll - I cart-wheeled from the momentum. It turns out that when I landed head on - my truck cart-wheeled onto the back, and then one more time onto the front. At which point the left tire landed in a cement drainage thing that kept me from any more flips. The front and back of the truck is smashed. However, the rest seems fine - inoperably-totalled - but fine.

Now I want to share something that my Mom wrote - the reason that she had spoken with me that morning.

We want to tell you about what happened to us today. The Lord brought a thought to me this morning to pray for David as he left for work today. I was very disturbed in my spirit about him driving and possibly not ever returning to me, so I did pray and ask God for His Hand of Protection over David and traveling mercies. I spoke with my Lord in fervent prayer and then went and told David that I loved him very much. I went back to bed and confessed to God that I had fear, but would not bow to it, but trust Him and then I slept.

At 9:30 this morning I was very blessed that there were no phone calls about any car accidents; which meant that he had made it to work safely. At 3pm I did get a phone call, though. A lady called and told me that David had been in an accident and was OK, but had a bad gash to his face. I knew right then why the Lord had prompted me to prayer specifically for David and his safety this morning. What had been meant for his destruction turned out to be a hospital bill and the demise of our newest vehicle, but my son walked away in victory. Sound a little dramatic? I’m sorry, but I know this is what happened today.

I want to carry the lesson that I learned so well today to you, my other beloved friends and family. When God brings someone to your mind, don’t say to yourself that you should pray for them, or that you will do it later, but know that it could be a matter of extreme urgency and pray right then. God does bring people to our mind, and He does have a reason for doing so.

We are all home, safe and sound and very blessed that David is fine. The car is totaled after driving off the middle of a small bridge, at least an 8 foot jump, the nose hit first, and so the car actually did a complete somersault and landed back on it’s wheels after a full rotation. The Policeman said he’s seen a lot of accidents where the car was less damaged and yet the driver was dead. He doesn’t know how David is still alive, by all means he should be dead, but Hallelujah God is a personal God and He loves David. It truly is a miracle that David crawled out of the window and walked away. He did suffer a concussion and was knocked unconscious for a few minutes. He was going at least 55 when he lost control of the SUV and there were at least 30 feet of skid marks on the highway. The vehicle was provided to us by our Lord, for such a time as this. Thank you, Lord!

Be blessed, love your people thoroughly and deeply and “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God..Phil 4:6

God brought me to my Mom’s attention this morning - and she followed through with His leading. Did God need her to pray in order for Him to protect me? - No! But isn’t that what we are called to do? What might have happened if she had just dismissed it and gone to bed? What if I had been awaken to pray for someone - would I have just gone back to sleep? Does my love for people weigh enough to silence my desires?

Remember that you have duties in God’s kingdom that only you can perform - don’t let them go unfinished - it could cost more than you realize…

“To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” - 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12.

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men… …For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; - 1 Timothy 2:1 & 3