Death Ride

After the way too eventful final visit with family before flying out of the country, my in-laws had already decided to drive us back up to the Great White North.  Honestly, I really do not remember much of the final days in their home.  Nor do I remember actually getting into the van.  All I knew at the time is that I was best off in the fetal position, avoiding all encounters with gravity that I could.  Thoroughly drugged and making a very slow recovery, I had somehow found myself on the back bench of their van for the two and a half day drive north through winter weather conditions. Everything about that trip is a fog.  Everything but one thing, that is.  That one thing which caused all of our lives flash before our eyes.  

I had woken up on the second day on the road.  Carefully testing my body against the shift of gravity, I carefully sat up and buckled my seat belt.  I remember carefully resting my burning face against the cool glass, closing my eyes in relief.  Upon opening my eyes, I saw that we were deep into the Great White North.  The roads were covered in ice.  Snow blew like ghosts over the cold throbbing white of the winter scape.  Looking forward, I could see my engineer talking to his parents and working to keep our Angel occupied.  Almost immediately, he saw that I was up and asked how I was doing.  Smiling weakly, I said something about being up.  Checking in on our little one, I saw that she was happy and busy. 

That is when I saw it.  The overpass.  At about the same time I noticed it, the van went into a high speed spin, right towards it.  Gripping the seat belt and bracing my feet, I looked at my engineer and my angel...as if for the last time.  Unable to close my eyes, I watched in horror as the supporting pillar rushed towards us.  As we were spinning, my father in law was concentrating on trying to guide the van through the ice, spin, bridge, and high winds.  

There was a sense of grace as I watched the pillar pass us as we spun underneath and through the underpass.  Though I knew that we weren't safe yet, there was a feeling that a serious miracle had just taken place.  I looked ahead at my father in law as he drove and concentrated with all his might to get us to safety.  

We were in a sideways skid going down the freeway when the van's front wheels hit the landscaped (now covered in snow) divider.  At this point, my mind KNEW that we were going to flip and roll.  The speed at which we were careening, the force with which we hit the divider, and the top heavy nature of the van were the needed elements for a glorious flip and roll.  

But it didn't happen!  Instead, the van skidded in the divider and took us in the opposite direction on the interstate!  I remember thanking God for His faithfulness.  There were so many ways that event could have been deadly.  All I can guess is that He had other plans for us.  Looking back on that Death Ride, I can't help but remember what immediately jumped to my mind in the midst of the spin.  All I wanted was for my engineer and Angel to make it out safely.  Nothing else was important to me at that point.  In my heart and mind, I prayed that they would live.  

There are things that happen in our lives that reveal what our hearts' desire most.  Sometimes the discoveries are hard and we must work to adjust our priorities to be more inline with our beliefs.  However, there are times when you find that what you want most in the world is for those you love to be safe, ahead of your own desires for yourself.  While the experience was horrifying, I am happy with the discovery that I made.