After a last minute decision on Friday, we decided to join Jonathan's family in Twin Falls, Idaho this weekend to help celebrate his grandma's 90th birthday. It was so fun visiting with lots of family and enjoying a good helping of delicious food. We cheered on the cougars as we creamed our opponent, 54-3, and the girls went to the best quilting shop I have ever been to. It was truly an enjoyable mini-vacation and I am glad that we decided to go.
As we left church and said our goodbyes, we heard, "Bye! Drive safely!" a few times and I was completely confident that we would do just that. After 10 minutes of driving, we reached the freeway and were able to meet a really nice family after we all ended up with dented cars in the middle of the dry, dusty median.
We had just gotten onto the freeway and Jonner was trying to pass a big semi-truck that was in front of us so he merged into the left lane, but as he did so we discovered that in his blind spot there was a blue mini-van in our way. They were able to avoid rear-ending us, but they did hit us on our left back side, then our left middle side, and rounded it off with the left front side of our car.
It happened in about 3 seconds, but I was very aware of everything that was happening. I felt something jostle the car, then turned to see the van as it continued to scrape against our car until it swerved to the right, causing our car spin out of control. Just as our car began to spin, I could see the van swerve left and into the median, getting lost in a large plume of dirt and dust.
As we were spinning I let out a scream of shear terror. I wasn't afraid because we were spinning. I was afraid that our small spinning Jetta would be stopped by another car. Or semi-truck. I said one of the fastest, yet most sincere prayers of my life" "Oh God, please don't let there be a car on the road!" The car came to a stop and we were perpendicular to the road and I looked out my window, bracing myself for another hit. But God pulled through for me, because there wasn't a car and I wasn't t-boned, and I am still breathing and alive.
Jonathan told me later that all he was thinking was, "When the car stops, put it in reverse and get off the road!" And that is exactly what he did, and in seconds we were also kicking up dust in the median. We made sure that we were unharmed and then Jonner ran to the van to make sure that they were all okay, and thankfully they were. They were so kind and understanding about the whole thing, saying that "Cars come and go, and we are just glad that everyone is okay."
I got out of the car after Jonner and walked around the front to assess the damage on the drivers side, and it wasn't pretty. I could tell that the passengers in the van were okay, and I realized that I needed to sit down. I was shaking as I pulled my door open and fell into my seat. The tears came then and I couldn't stop my hands from shaking. I was grateful to be alive and scared that I came far too close to ending up in the hospital or a body bag. If a car had been right behind that van, I don't think I would be telling you this story.
Jonathan felt terrible, but it was just a mistake, and there are times when we simply can't see another car in our blind spot. I thought about that a lot as we drove the rest of they way to Provo (yes, the car still runs fine, it just looks like hell). I thought about how a lot of things blind sight us - on the road, and in life.
I thought about how I never expected to face years of health/back issues that would change the way that I live and bring me to tears more than anyone but Jonathan and the Lord will ever know. I never saw any of this coming - the van - and the challenges that I have had to face because of my back. Despite the challenges, the Lord has been there all along, protecting, guiding, loving, and of course, saving. It is because of Him that I am still breathing and growing and moving forward. I know that His angels protected us today and I know that He and His angels always will.
