Everything Happens for a Reason - The Story of a Car

 The Raspberry

A long time ago in the year 2002.  I was in need of a car so that I could find a job.  I had graduated from High School that year and I did not wish to go to college so I would need to find a job instead.  My dad had retired from the military which enabled us to visit a used car lot on a military base.  They had all manner of affordable cars, but they were so packed into the lot it was not even possible to test drive them.  Being girl of 18 I had no interest in Make or Model, all I cared about was what color the car was.  Being also a strong believer in God even as a teenager I had asked God to help me find a suitable car. There were two I liked.  A purple Dodge Neon and a purple, but more pink Chevy Caviler.  I like the Neon's color more, but the Caviler was more comfortable.  It didn't take long to decide and the 1996 Caviler was mine for $3000.  Raspberry was the official color in the paperwork.   The poor thing had to be jump started and driven straight to the mechanic to get her up and running.

For nearly 2 years that car drove me to and from work 40 miles one way 5 days a week.  Through freezing ice storms and all kinds of mid-western weather, the most trouble I had was a slight fishtail one night on the icy highway.  After having had my fill of tornado ally, I was off to the desert to attend college and made the trek from Kansas to Arizona.  For 8 years the little raspberry endured the never ending sun.  The sun paid it toll causing the paint to begin to blister off.  The blazing heat and crippling passage of time caused many other trips to the mechanic.  The alternator died in a Taco Bell drive through so we pushed it down the street in the middle of the night to nearest mechanic.  One day arriving home from work I noticed the tire was quite low so I drove it right over to the discount tires which I happened to live directly behind.  Then after returning home from an erred one day I returned home stopping at the front office to pay my rent, and upon returning found the car no longer started!  Never once did she die in traffic however,  she always seemed to die in a safe location in which I could arrange to have her taken care of even if it seemed like quite the inconvenience at the time.

That car had such a good time in Arizona, showing up as a prop in my college music video,  used as a bus to squeeze in more students than seats on occasion, and of course providing transportation for endless adventures.

In 2012 it was time for a break from the Arizona sun and it made the trek to Montana where it sat resting in the snow on the side of the road for 9 months just sleeping away, as I carted my youth ministry team around in the giant van we called The Gladiator.

The Raspberry was no worse for wear after being neglected in the snow for so long, and happily took me through the Nevada wasteland full of aggressive dirt devils and tumble weeds nearly the size of that little car, all the way to southern California. For nearly a year the old Raspberry braved the California freeways.  The old country car was 18 years old now and had seen much of the world.

In April 2014 I prayed for safety driving home from work as I always tried today and jumped onto the freeway cruising home at 65 in the slow lane.  I saw headlights in my side mirror and continued singing away as I waited for them to pass on by.  But, they didn't pass by, I heard a loud bang on the left side of the car and felt the car begin the slide.  I thought to myself very clearly, "I'm in an accident."  I didn't know what to do, I was on a section of the freeway that had 5 or 6 lanes and was always congested.  I closed my eyes and began to pray, "please protect me Jesus." I imagined my self going off the freeway and hitting a tree, I feel the car spinning and simply waited for it to stop.  Finally it did stop as I slammed into something and the air bag hit my face.  Slowly I opened my eyes to get my bearings.  The car was dark and full of dust from the air bag,  I rolled down the windows, I didn't feel hurt, I wasn't bleeding.  I looked around to find myself facing the cement median in the car pool lane!  I found the emergency lights and switched them on and called 911.  The woman on the phone advised me not to get out of the car and to wait for the police.  She asked me if I wanted an ambulance but I didn't know if I needed one.  After that she hung up leaving me as cars raced around me some honking as if I was an inconvenience to them.  I knew I was at great risk of being hit again sitting facing the wall like that in the carpool lane.  I turning on the interior light to try to make the car more visible.  It felt like I waited there forever.  I tried to pray the rosary, but I couldn't remember the prayers quite right.  I considered getting out of the car even though the women on the phone had warned me not to.  I called 911 again after waiting for quite some time hoping the person on the other end could give me some comfort as I could very well die if I was hit again.  No such luck, the this woman said the same thing, but I did say yes to the ambulance this time.  I didn't see any other cars stopped so I figured it was a hit and run.

Finally after I don't even know how long two police cars arrived driving across all the lanes in zigzags to stop the traffic.  I had never been so happy to see the police in my life.  They had me walk across the freeway as they tried to get my car started, with no luck. They took me to the next exit where a double long semi truck was parked.  That's what hit me!  The driver did not even see or feel my little car he claimed on the police report, but he admitted fault.  I sat in the back of the police car as I waited for my boyfriend to show up to give me a ride home.  The ambulance never arrived.

The car of course was totaled.  She was too old to be repaired and worth too little.

The Mysterious Miracle 

It is a miracle I that I was almost completely uninjured, aside from some seat belt burns, a sore face from air bag, and my left pinky finger was very sore for about a month, but not broken.

The two police officers who were both very kind, said they were amazed that I was not hit again. They said they expected that I would be.  They had served people in accidents for many years on those freeways and knew this from experience.  They said I was lucky because I and the truck driver were going "slow."  I driving 65 which is the speed limit on that freeway.  I don't consider that to be slow, but when I tell others the stories they all agree that it is. 

I very much wonder what the truck driver saw.  He said he did not even feel his truck hit me, and yet he stopped and claimed guilt for the incident.

I do not know how the other cars didn't hit me as I spun across all of the lanes of traffic or while I was sitting in the car pool lane.  I would like to see a replay of this someday because I'm certain Angels or Saints or both prevented me from colliding with any other cars.

When I was hit I had cruise control on and when I stopped against the cement wall, my foot was on the gas.  When I think back on this incident I sometimes think maybe if I had not closed my eyes and had tried to stop the spin by turning the wheel in the opposite direction as they teach you to do when learning to drive, maybe I would not have crashed and only had the small dent in the left passenger door.  But then I think no... what I did was surrender completely to Jesus in that moment.  He could have taken my life, but He spared it.  I do not know why.  All I know is the lack of injury after being hit by a double long semi can not be good luck or a mere coincidence.  It was not my time to go, which is all I really know.

Shiny    

 

I spent a full year saving up money for a new car.  After going into much debt from student loans, I am against taking out loans unless there is truly no other option.  I have a friend at work who I would sit with at lunch from time to time and tell her about my plans to buy a car and such.  Recently she decided it was time to move nearer to her family in Australia.  She sold me her car, Shiny.  The car is a 2009 Toyota Corolla.  When I was researching cars I decided I wanted a 2008 Toyota Camey or Corolla.  Yes, I prayed for this car as well and God delivered.  He not only helped me but I'm sure he helped my friend too because I no doubt gave her more for the car than a dealership would have.  It is quite amazing to me that I was able to save up just enough money for this car at the right time, and it was fitting the specifications I wanted, even better in fact!

The Reason

I do not know the reason why I had to lose my old faithful car.  But then gain an even better one.  I don't know what I have learned spiritually from this experience.  However, I have no doubt that God is using all of this to help me in some way that will likely be a mystery to me during this life time.  I could tell you that I know exactly why this happened and try to make up some spiritual benefits I have received, but the truth is, "God's ways are not our ways," and thus I take comfort knowing that God saved me from death that night for a reason, so my job is not done here yet.  I only hope that I will live up to his expectations.