Nineteen years ago, while returning home after spending time with extended family for Christmas, our small young family of three slid off the road moments after we switched drivers with me then behind the wheel. After twice maintaining control when driving on black ice, the 3d time the car spun around and slid backwards 400 feet down an interstate embankment and turned around feet before going into a forest of trees.
Since that time, I’ve declined invitations year after year during the holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas, to travel to visit family that live where those conditions are a real possibility.
This year, after all that time, we ventured out driving hours during Christmas break to vacation and visit some cold and snowy places. I prepared our family and packed for the worst case scenario extreme weather conditions. Experience had taught me to be prepared. We had food, water, layers of clothing, blankets, and snow gear in the event we were caught in a blizzard or the weather delayed us for a time. I also periodically checked the weather pattern days leading up to and throughout our trip. Any worries and concerns were lessened as I felt prepared and gained a peace through prayer.
I was extremely appreciative of the tender mercy and miracle that the scariest of moments when driving in the dark on wet, icy roads were brief and that we were able to get to and from every destination during our weeklong trip absent of severe weather. For most of our trip, the roads were dry and at times, the gusty winds and snow drifts blowing low along the highway were manageable.
On Day 2, our schedule was delayed a couple of hours ultimately the perfect timing as we arrived in a city where it had been snowing all day, the snow let up before we got there and with the interstate having been salted, the road was clear other than side streets that were packed down with crunchy, icy snow. And, the day we began our trip back home was hours ahead of a new snow storm coming through. It was a tender mercy and miracle that we were able to enjoy our trip void of the snowstorm that preceded our arrival to one city earlier in the week and a new snowstorm in a city we were leaving at the end of the week.
My continuous prayers for our safety and good weather weeks prior to the trip and during were answered.
When have you returned to a place of fear and as you prepared yourself and prayed that you would not experience a repeat of the traumatic event, you got through it safely with conditions of concern at a minimum?
tendermercym❤️ments~jld
“How have you noticed Heavenly Father’s awareness and mindfulness of you today?”
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