God's Grace in the Snow

SNOW - it is so beautiful on the trees...brightening the gray-ness of the winter.

Best observed from the comfort of one's couch - preferrably with a cozy fire in the fireplace and a nice hot cup of cocoa. (sadly, I have neither right now - but I do have a great couch!).

Today was Anna's last basketball game - it was eventful in & of itself (the opposing team didn't have enough players so Anna was "traded", but it turned out to be great because the "new" coach was all about all players getting a chance to touch the ball - and Anna got to make several attempts at the basket, which was rare with her own team).

It was snowing before we left for the game, which was at 11 a.m. - and by the time the games were over and we had lunch, the roads were really bad. The interstate was backed up for several miles - but thankfully we could go home on side roads.

It was going well until we were on the last uphill curve on the highway by our subdivision.
Dan had momentum going (thankfully Iowa-boy was driving!!) to get us up the hill - but then we saw lots of hazard lights up ahead - UH OHHHHHHHHHHH!!

We had to come to a complete stop - and even in the stopped position, our vehicle started to slide towards the ravine beside the highway. We weren't dangerously close - but close enough for me to feel pretty uncomfortable about it all.

The view from the passenger side window:

The Highway Patrol was out, trying to help the van that had slid into the ditch ahead, which was the main thing holding up all the traffic. There was a red pick up truck ahead of us in the same perdicament as us. A big gray pick up truck came driving up beside us all, offering help. We waved him on - but he slowed to talk to the driver of the red truck - AND SLID RIGHT INTO IT!!!!!!

Here's Dan explaining everything to the state trooper:

At this point, a tow truck had arrived. Dan decided to try one last time to move our vehicle. He drove us backwards down the hill a ways. We passed one vehicle also stuck on the side of the road; and past it, we stopped in the middle of the road, hoping when things cleared out, we'd have enough room to gain momentum to get up the hill. (The kids & I were PRAYING this whole time and as we watched the events unfold before us).

So, the tow truck hooked up to the red pick up truck. As it pulled it and turned it around, the pick up truck didn't come out in a straight path - and it crashed right into the vehicle we just had passed when Dan had backed our vehicle down the hill! The tow truck driver proceeded to blame the owner of the pick-up truck for not steering it right as he was pulling him...I think the driver of the red pick-up truck was having a really bad day :( We felt pretty sorry for him - but since the road was temporarily cleared, Dan got in our car - and gunned the engine - and got us up the hill, turned into our subdivision, and finally HOME. Sweet. Home.

I'm sure God had some invisible guardian angels pushing our car. It is a Saturn Vue - basically a car in a SUV body, 4 cylinders, front wheel drive, and very light with very cheap tires on it.

Once home, we heard that some areas around us had gotten as much as 8 or 9 inches of snow! Here's our back deck:

Tonight, I am not only praying for my husband, I am THANKING GOD that he handled all the driving today so well. He stayed calm in the midst of all the sliding cars and crashing vehicles and with God's help, got us home safe. He was our hero today :)

Day 28
Pray that your husband will be a man of prayer. Pray that he will seek and pursue God in
purposeful quiet times. (1 Thess. 5:17; Luke 22:46; James 5:16)