“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” Proverbs 3:5-6

Saved by Grace: Rainbow over Niagara Falls...

I posted this on my wordpress blog and decided to make it accessible by uploading it here:

Last Wednesday, I took a road trip with a group of friends to Richmond Hill, 3 miles north of Toronto, Canada. The journey started well and, despite the heavy rains and fog that came late evening, we made it safely to our first rest stop/hotel for the night. The next morning, we had breakfast, gathered our things, said a prayer and left the hotel focused on completing our drive as we wanted to attend a spiritual retreat/event with Amma

All went well until we had a harrowing rear right tire blow-out on the highway at I-190W (370.2 point/65mph). Even with the tips I learned from Rich and from the road safety guides on what to do here and here, the car spun around twice veering treacherously close to the guide rails that separate oncoming traffic, my companions said it spun a few more times, before I was able to steady the steering wheel and calmly get it off the road to the right shoulder. We were saved by God’s grace; a divine motherly grace helped me use the right tips as a prayerful calm pervaded the car and a steady presence guided us through it all.

“The will of God will never take you to where the grace of God will not protect you. So long as we imagine it is we who have to look for God, we most often lose heart. But it is the other way around –
He is looking for us.” Simon Tugwell

Saved by Grace: Aftermath of a Busted Tire...

Saved by Grace: Like an Early Sunrise over Mansagar Lake...

There was definitely tremendous grace and divine protection as time stopped, on-coming traffic slowed down and stopped, and nary a 12-18 wheeler was in sight. Keep in mind that I-190 is a very busy highway and there had been steady traffic for miles. As grace would have it, once we pulled over to the right shoulder, the traffic suddenly picked right back up and several 12-18 wheelers whizzed by; reminding us how fortunate we were. The miraculous outcome was not lost on any of us as we uttered words of gratitude.

Once parked on the right shoulder, I called for help and we had the car towed by a charming stock car racer/tow truck driver named Greg; the tire/rim was replaced by Jeremy at a local repair shop in Le Roy, NY, hometown to JELLO. Jeremy was kind and thoughtful; he made sure to check everything in the car including all four wheels before sending us on our merry way. We completed our round-trip journey, arriving in Canada on Thursday night and returning back home to NY late Friday night, with no further ado.

Obviously, this incident is a reminder to all of us, including You, to drive safely this summer especially as vacations continue and the highways and local roads get crowded. With more young people driving in the summer time for fun with friends, it is imperative that we all exercise caution and learn what to do when driving under challenging conditions. Also, this is a reminder that life is fleeting and the love and care we show our loved ones should be practiced on the road. I have added valuable links and tips below.

“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage…” Joshua 1:5-6

Saved by Grace: Flitting around like Busy Bees...

In addition to these helpful tips/links on driving in heavy thunderstorms/rains, heavy fog, and with highway tire blow-outs, keep the following common sense tips in mind:

♥ Drive safely within requisite speed limits
♥ Reduce speeds in poor weather conditions
♥ Make sure you and all passengers have seat-belts on
♥ Pay attention to the road, cars and surroundings
♥ Don’t drink, do drugs and drive – you need your wits (calmness/logic)
♥ Don’t text or chat on cell phones while driving
♥ Make sure car and tires are checked

♥ Skip the flip flops and dark shades; proper shoes and frames you can see through clearly rule
♥ Stay focused, calm and confident on the road
♥ Make sure you have had enough sleep before driving
♥ Pull off the road when necessary and call immediately for assistance.

Because our roads get even more crowded in the summer with seasonal drivers out and about, it is important to exercise precaution and be vigilant on the road. Follow the advice above and your driving should be fine. Naturally,stuff does happen. If it does, stay calm/positive, again follow the suggestions offered via the links and above, trust and pray that all will be well and that the help you need will be provided and it will.

Have you had any driving incidents you’d like to share? What insights have you learned? Any tips and thoughts would be appreciated.

If the links deactivated on the upload, please visit my blog http://eof737.wordpress.com/ for the active links. Thank you!

PHOTO CREDITS:
All photos ~ courtesy of Google Images

Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©

Elizabeth Obih-Frank