Protection

Today, Aaron only had to work from 10:00-2:00. It was raining and windy all day. Wondering what to do with such a short and wet work day (as that rarely happens), we decided to go to Target. We needed laundry detergent and Aaron wanted to buy a bath robe. We decided we'd go home and cook dinner after that. We only live about 3 miles from Target and our drive home is only on two roads. We were half way home when we needed to turn left at a fairly busy intersection. The speed limit is 45, but the average person drives about 55 MPH around there. Aaron was driving. He had a green arrow that was just turning yellow as we entered the intersection. All of a sudden, I felt Aaron slam on the brakes. Instantly, I understood why. A silver SUV had run a red light (at probably 50 MPH) and almost t-boned us. I felt us coming to a stop, but everything happened so fast and so slow at the same time. I just screamed and reached for the "oh crap" handle (which is broken in Aaron's car, by the way...). I swear, it looked like the SUV hit us (or that the front of our car hit the side of it). I didn't feel any impact, but it looked like it was plowing through the front of the car. I didn't understand... I screamed and braced for what I knew would be a painful impact. It was so close, it could not have been more than 2 inches from the front of our car!!! It was the most bizarre thing!

God was definitely protecting us! Usually, I refuse to take Aaron's car anywhere when it's raining because it smells mildewey and gross. Today, I didn't care whose we took. If we had taken my car, Aaron would not have been able to stop so quickly. If we had left Target even half a second sooner, that SUV would have smashed right into Aaron's side of the car, and at that speed, it probably would have killed him.

Aaron pulled over into a parking lot and we thanked God for protecting us. It made us both realize how much God is in control of things. God definitely protected us today-- even one half of a second and we might both be dead, or at the very least, out a car. And it reminded us that God will protect us in other ways as well. God will provide for us even though we may not see any possible way. It wasn't our time to go, and God has plans for us. As long as we're following Him, He'll protect and provide for us.

Aaron has always said I handle stress "oddly". Usually, in a situation that is high-stress or scary, I remain (relatively) calm and think rationally. I don't panic or cry until several minutes afterward. I'm sure that is a good quality to have, because it is one that cannot really be learned. So many books and seminars talk about how to properly handle stress... well, if it really can be "learned", then why haven't people learned it, yet? I think the reason lies in our instincts. We cannot manipulate our knee-jerk reactions to high-stress situations. I definitely cried when we got home. I was shaking so hard I got a migraine. I feel much better now. I'm just so glad Aaron is ok. I don't even know what I'd do without him. This is just further affirmation that the National Guard is not the way to go in this family.

On a lighter note... When we got home, I started crying and fully realizing how dangerous the whole thing was. I was piping mad at that idiot driver who ran the light and wanted him to be at the very least fined for reckless driving. Aaron said, "Well, let's hope his wife was with him. I'm sure she'll be screaming at him for the rest of the night." LOL Maybe that's punishment enough...

I've been reading through I Peter for the last few days. One verse today really grabbed at my attention. I Peter 4:11:

"Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God;
whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies;
so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ,
to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."