Get Off the Road
"What the heck is that?" Heaven help me, I was seeing a truck, which had been travelling south, now heading straight toward me. I was on the divided highway in a north-bound lane. Snow had been falling steadily, the roads turning into skating rinks, and this was the second busiest highway in Canada.
Earlier in the day I had been travelling on that highway to spend time with my mother. She lived in a Nursing Home. Mom gave birth to nine children and having them visit her was the highlight of her day.
When snow started to come down with intensity it was eerie. As I drove toward the Nursing Home, a thought called out, "head for home now!" I thought it was just my own paranoia, later I believed differently!
Not wanting to disappoint mother, I kept driving toward the Nursing home, ignoring what turned out to be sage advice.
I arrived for my visit and opened the car door to a winter wonderland. Flakes were unusually large and had to be coming down at a faster pace than usual because the street had become a white carpet.
"It's good to see you," mom said as we hugged. "I thought with the weather you wouldn't come." I could see she had been anxiously watching for me and I shook the snowdrift off my black coat!
I sat with mom briefly at lunch, visiting, yet feeling antsy about the change in the weather. It was difficult to ignore the force and magnitude of the snow; and more difficult to ignore the feelings I was having about safe winter driving conditions. Finally I decided if I wanted to safely make the two-hour trip home I should leave. I ignored the sad expression mom displayed as I told her, "Mom, a storm seems to be building up and I am going to go. I'll be back next week."
I made slow progress on the highway and was nearing the exit for the town of Crossfield. It had taken me twice the amount of time to reach this point.
"Take the exit for Crossfield and sleep at your brother's house." When this "thought" hit me, I felt it was my own and argued with myself, "No I want to get home. I'll be okay. I'll take it slowly." Sometimes I think we humans are very thick about facing reality and about recognizing what could be a heavenly message.
Just past the exit, my fear level escalated to one hundred percent as a hair-raising event unfolded.
A camper-trailer traveling south lost control and I watched horrified as it careened across the meridian aimed straight at my vehicle (which of course was traveling north). I couldn't believe my eyes. It appeared as though the out-of-control vehicle was riding a wild bull. It came up out of a dip flew into the air, then dipped and hit the dirt and repeated the action. Later I realized this was due to the slope of the banks on the ditches.
Why didn't I heed the earlier warning and get off the road. I would be safely inside my brother's house not facing a gut wrenching decision.
I had seconds to react! If I tried to hit the gas pedal and speed up, the icy conditions would cause a skid and I would fish tail out of control. There was no place to turn to and not enough time to do it in. Applying the brakes would also cause my vehicle to fishtail and still in all likelihood place me in the pathway of the oncoming vehicle. There was nothing I could do, except pray. Pray and hope was the only answer. I watched mesmerized hoping my vehicle would clear before impact.
Something slammed into my car. This was it then! Lights out for my vehicle and maybe me too! Wham! Wham! Something hit two more times. Disoriented, confused I still waited to be knocked off the road. There must be one more powerful blow to come. How could I still be on the road? I didn't lose control! I was still moving forward. Dazed, unbelieving, I could no longer see the bucking truck.
Shaken, scared, bewildered, I instinctively looked through my rear view mirror. I saw the two vehicles behind me were intact! Nowhere could I see the camper truck. It was as though the careening vehicle had been swallowed into the storm. There was nothing to be seen, just a white-out of swirling snow!
It hit me then, the two "thoughts" I had blocked and denied earlier, were heavenly intervention. I was being told to get off the roads. I was told not to go to see my mother but get home, and later to get off the road and go to my brother's.
As I pulled over, tears of relief burned my eyes and a great feeling of gratitude covered me. I sent up a prayer of thanks and one for the occupants of the other vehicle.
Later I discovered that as the bucking vehicle flew past mine chunks of ice and mud from his vehicle shot like bullets into my car.
Turning on the car radio I heard an announcer provide a weather warning from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, advising travelers to stay off the highway!
I laughed, "A bit late for that warning!" I said. Yet I know now I had an even better warning, from God.
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