Joshua 1:9

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

-Joshua 1:9-

On Sunday night, I was on the 91 freeway- driving in the FastTrak lanes. Bryson was with me, since we had gone to visit my good friend (Christy) and her son (Cooper). I was about to get out of the fast lane, when I heard a loud sound and immediately knew there was something wrong. I started to hear the thump...da...thump of my tire, and very quickly I heard the scraping of metal. My car alerted me that my right front tire pressure needed immediate assistance. I put my hazards on and drove very slowly across all of the lanes, until I was in the slow lane. The shoulder was blocked and I didn't know what to do. I stopped (completely)...in the slow lane....kept my foot on the brakes...and kept my hazard lights on. I called Josh in a panic. Bryson was crying in the back seat and I was trying to comfort him and hold it together. Josh told me to call On Star (thank God for them!) and On Star got a highway patrol officer on the line with me. He informed me that it wasn't safe to stay where I was. I knew it, but was afraid to move. I could see cars zipping up behind me and cutting over at the last second. I was so afraid that someone would rear end us. Bryson kept on crying and I asked him..."You know Who is with us wherever we go, right?" He said, "I know...but I am still really scared." I am sure it didn't help that I was telling the lady from On Star that I was afraid someone was going to hit us! Anyhow, I said to Bryson..."Let's pray." I prayed and rubbed his leg, trying to calm him down. Inside, I was freaking out. It's so cool to look back on that night, though...and to see how God gave me supernatural strength. I didn't cry (and I guarantee you that had I been alone....I would have been bawling!) and I was able to console my boy. The lady from On Star was so sweet, too and when Bryson mentioned that he was afraid of the car blowing up...she gently reassured him that she had all of the information on our car in front of her, and that the only problem was the tire. Well, the highway patrol cars got there and blocked the ramp so that I could pull off of the freeway. By that time, Josh (and Hudson) were waiting off the off ramp for us and a tow truck was on the way. Josh helped guide me to the side of the road, and the officers stayed with us until the tow truck got there. There are MANY other details of that night...like how Josh sent me home with the boys...how he stayed to put my spare on....how he couldn't find the tools in my car for a while- because they were seriously hidden....how he finally found the tools...how the spare would NOT come down....how the tow truck dude came back....how Josh finally was able to get the spare down....how he had to call the tow truck dude back for the THIRD time because after he put the spare on, he went to start the car to come home and low and behold-- my car battery had died (or been drained from all of the doors being open and lights being on for so long)! Josh had that poor dude give him a jump and finally made it home. It was a long night, to say the least. I was very shaken up, and so was Bryson. Josh never got stressed or frustrated and was even able to laugh about the situation (not me getting a flat on the freeway, but the other stuff) that night. I saw the Lord's hand in the entire situation. I felt amazed by the fact that He got me through it and that He gave me the strength to "deal." Joshua 1:9 kept coming to my mind, throughout the whole ordeal. After we were safe in Josh's car and on our way home...I asked Bryson if he was okay. I pointed out that the Lord had answered our prayers. I reminded Bryson that even if we had gotten hit by another car...the Lord still would have been with us. I told Bryson that the Lord promises to be with us at all times....but He doesn't promise that bad things won't happen, or that we will never get hurt. As I was telling these things to my son....it was as if I was being reminded of these truths myself. I pray that something like that will not happen again, but I am thankful that Bryson was with me. I would have fallen apart, had I not had to hold it together for him. Bryson said later that he was glad Hudson wasn't with us when it happened. He said, "Hudson would have really freaked out." It was cool to see God's hand in even that part of it. Hudson was supposed to be with me, and at the last minute he decided to stay with Josh. I kept thinking about how hard it would have been to console two boys, while talking to On Star and the highway patrol officers. Thank You, Jesus (for taking the wheel....corny but true!) for Your hand of protection on our car, thank You for giving me Your strength, thank You for a husband who rides up on his white horse (ahem...in his white Tahoe) to save the damsel in distress, and thank You for Your promises. Thank You for reminders that You are with us AT ALL TIMES. Please remember that He is always with you, too. May you feel His presence and call upon His name.

**On a completely different note, I am sooo behind at posting pics, I never wished any of you a Merry Christmas, and I still have packing to do for a trip I am leaving on tomorrow! So....Happy 2010! See you in the New Year!! Please forgive any grammatical errors tonight. It's late!**