If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.   -  Unknown Happy moments;   Praise God Difficult moments;   Seek God Quiet moments;   Worship God Painful moments;   Trust God Every moment;   Thank God.  -  Unknown January 22, 2008 was an unusually cold Tuesday morning in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas.  Krista drives to her parent's home to pick up Teresa, her step mother.  They had planned a day together and in their journey, had to drive some of the rural roads which are all hills, curves, and low water bridges.  This can give a very scenic rural drive...   but not today. Before leaving, Krista prayed for safety, protection, guidance, and alertness. Earlier, Teresa had mentioned to me that she was planning on wearing her snow boots.  I told her that there's no snow and she should be ok with just her tennis shoes. Later she walked into my den holding her snow boots and it hit me...   "You know," I said, "your boots might be a good idea." Krista came to drop off her girls and pick up Teresa.  On their drive to Flippin, AR. there were a few slippery spots on the road.  Krista felt confident since she was quite familiar with the snowy and icy winter weather of the Western Maryland Mountains where she'd lived and driven for some years.  Still she practiced extreme caution. As they left Flippin, they drove several miles to CCC Access which goes back through these small but dangerous hills toward Webb's Landing. Krista encountered a few small slick spots which weren't overly problematic and her little Ford Escort held to the road.  As they were nearing Kingdon Spring Lane, she knew there was a very steep hill ahead;   she began tapping her brakes gently.  Though the roads don't seem too bad as yet, Krista gets to practicing her ministry in the Church. Krista is a prayer warrior so she begins to really praying. Something told Krista to turn off the radio...   but why?  Maybe God didn't want distractions... She continues to tap the brake gently, and as she reached the Kingdon Spring road sign.  She didn't notice the icicles hanging from the sign, but she did indeed know there was ice under her wheels when her car began slipping on the ice. She tries to stop the car without sliding to the edge of the road because of the drainage ditch on the left and the drop off on the right. They slid to a point where the road was steeper.  Though Krista gently pumped the brake, they continued to pick up speed. Teresa shouted, "SLOW DOWN!" Krista could only reply with the truth.  "I CAN'T!" Both could now see the steep incline down which they must go.  Terror tried to set in, but Teresa's response was repeating over and over, "Oh, God!  Dear Jesus!  Jesus,  Jesus,  Jesus,  Jesus...." As the two women slid, the car was beginning to fishtail back and forth.  It was all Krista could do to keep a semblance of control. Control?  Not at all...   What Krista did had no affect on the travel of the car;  at least anything that would be beneficial for them. The bank on the right side of the road was getting steeper and steeper.  The road was now sloping steeper and steeper.  They are now sliding very fast. If she would drop off the right, she and Teresa could be killed as they crash through and into the trees. But what's that?!?  What's that white thing in the ditch on the other side of the road? It was a van which was overturned in the ditch.  The car was still swaying back and forth, and sliding no matter how much Krista was pumping on the brake.  Teresa was still praying, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus...." Krista is thinking about her own three, beautiful, little girls...   Why? She too has a white van that looks a lot like this one in the ditch.  But she knows her little girls are home safe. Krista knew that if they continued to slide, they would hit a ditch or utility pole where the road curves to the right, still on a downhill grade, or they would go off the right side and down the embankment. Krista then decided she could do no more, and trusting God's promise that we can put all our problems and worries on Him (1 Peter 5:7). She prayed, "Jesus, You take control - Jesus take control of the wheel;   I can't do it on my own..."  Then she gripped the bottom of the wheel and closed her eyes. Then to her amazement, she stopped feeling the movement of the car.  She opened her eyes and looked... Interestingly, the car was in park, but while the key was on, the engine was not running. They were on the side of the road....   at the only place where a car could fit along the road;   and it was parked as though they had deliberately pulled up and parallel parked there.  She was parked, where the van is in the pictures directly above and below. Quickly, taking no concern for themselves, they hurry out of the car and climb up the hill.  She was slipping an sliding, even in the grass she would slide. Teresa, wearing her snow boots, couldn't stand steadily and fell...   At one place, she actually had to crawl on her knees to get up the hill. - -van is where Krista's car came to rest- Krista too fell and would have slid backward, down the grade, but she'd quickly got on her knees....   and continued to climb. On Krista's mind was "Who was in the van?  Are they OK?  How can I help them?" Finally she reached the van but saw no movement inside.  She pounded on the van but no response.  The worked her way to the rear of the van, but the tinted windows prevented her to see inside. Slowly, she works to the front of the van along the bottom of the vehicle.  She held onto whatever she could, wheels, framework, anything she could grasp.  The oil pan was still warm, so the accident couldn't have been too long ago.  She saw that both air-bags had been deployed. Then two men came who helped her check the vehicle. They found no one.  Apparently, the occupant(s) climbed out and found safety in a house. Let's go back to where Krista's car came to rest. There wasn't a lot of space there to park the car.  Too, there were drops into a ravine just before and just beyond where they stopped. The place where the car came to rest was off the road and to just slide into it was highly unlikely...   Maybe impossible. If they'd have slid off the road just a few seconds earlier, they'd have slid down the embankment and into the ravine.  This photo (right) shows where they could have ended up.  I would not have liked that option at all. But they didn't, they slide just past it;   then slide to the right into this place of safety. To the left of the photographer, the drop is just as steep and deadly as what's here. Some who travel down life's road stay on the road by their trust and faith in God and His mighty hand of protection.  Other's trust their own strengths and abilities and go off the road intended for us. We are not to trust our own understanding of our abilities, and options (Proverb 3:5).  We're to acknowledge Him, and He shall direct our paths (Proverb 3:6).  He will lead us, guide us, and make sure that we are exactly where He wants us....   In this case, safe. Because these women prayed, and trusted God completely, they (and Krista's car) are still with us and healthy.  Only God loves us enough, and can protect us in situations like these. By the Grace of God, Krista (red jacket) and Teresa can still show the little Ford Escort that God parked. To God Be All The Glory !!! 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