Sunday May 12, 2019 was a long day. First, we served mother's breakfast before our small groups. That meant an early morning of cooking and an earlier arrival than normal. We enjoyed our normal worship gathering. We had a fast lunch because Tanner had to be back in Plainview for work and we needed to move some furniture since he is moving into his own apartment.
That meant Tanner, Taylor and I would drive to Plainview, unload, eat dinner and then Taylor and I would make the trip back home. Eight hour round trip. A LATE night. Everything went smoothly driving out there. We unloaded and ate. We got on the road a little later than I thought we would. My calculations deducted Taylor and I would arrive back in Runaway around 1:00 a.m. I drove the first half and Taylor took over. By the time we changed seats I was getting very sleepy. I told Taylor I would sleep about an hour and awake for the last hour of the trip to keep him awake.
That all changed. First, Taylor swerved to miss a deer darting across the road all while pulling a trailer. Next, he saw a hog. Needless to say these things awoke me. Those were not the close calls. Only a few miles out in the middle of the road the headlights shown on something big and black. Taylor swerved suddenly to miss a cow in the middle of the highway as black as the night. When I saw it I knew it was too big to be a hog and deduced it was a cow. We started skidding and could feel the trailer jackknifing pulling the back of the truck with it. We were in trouble.
In those seconds several things raced through my mind. I remembered the trailer and thought this could end very badly. I thought about Taylor being behind the wheel. I thought about the lonely stretch of highway we were own around 12:40 at night. It lasted only seconds but felt like time stood still. It seemed to stretch out longer. I also prayed. In those seconds I pleaded for God to steady everything.
Then it seemed as if God gently put His hands on the truck and trailer and straightened them both bringing them back under control while slowing us down. Taylor and I immediately identified God saved us. God kept Taylor alert when I was weary. God showed the cow in time to miss colliding with it. God kept the trailer from whipping us off the road. God kept Taylor from overreacting by breaking harder and oversteering. God also protected us from the deer and the hog. It was a close call but God kept us safe.
I immediately gave thanks to God. In fact, I gave thanks to God off and on for the remainder of the drive. We finally pulled onto the driveway at 1:37 a.m. After that close call we both stayed awake the remainder to the trip. Neither of us had any trouble sleeping once we got into bed. We did not have to arrive home safely. God was certainly not obligated to help us. God protected us. It made me think God is not finished with us. He still has purposes for Taylor and I to fulfill.
I start this day with renewed gratitude. Thankful for life. Thankful I got to see Brenda again last night. Thankful for a good day to spend with my two oldest sons. Precious memories I treasure. I am thankful for the prayers of my wife on our road trip. I am thankful I am alive and able to write this.
Even when I got weary God never slumbered. He remained awake and protected two of His children. So very blessed on this Monday. Truly God's mercies are new every morning. [Lam 3:22-23]
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