I remember the day I got my Xterra. It was one day in May 2002 shortly before graduation. After putting in my request for an Xterra (because my Dad did not want me driving to college in my 10-year old Toyota Celica), and after my Dad had done some research for the best deal, I was driving it home from the dealership and it was pouring rain outside. I remember feeling so thankful and beyond blessed to be driving it. I remember thanking God for this beautiful vehicle (that was a lot prettier ten years ago) and for my parents working so hard to give it to me. I prayed then that he would help me drive it safely and I would take care of what he had entrusted me with. Even more, I was thankful that my parents (with a little help from me) had it paid off before I finished college so Brad and I didn't start our marriage with that debt. I vowed I would drive it until we either had too many people in our family to fit in it (add one more and we wouldn't) or until it would drive no more. And after today, it will drive no more...
We all have those moments when we get to a destination and think, "Oh my Gosh, I have no idea how I even got here," because our minds are just somewhere else and we go through the motions without mentally focusing on what we're doing. And that was me today! I was taking Grayson to pre-school and we were talking (no, I was not on a cell phone, Grandpa!). Even as I was going into the intersection, saw I was about to hit this guy, and slamming on my breaks, I was wondering if he was turning left and supposed to be yielding to me. I even had a split second to realize that I was the idiot going through the red light before I slammed into him.
My air bags deployed and my car quickly started filling up with smoke/power from the air bags. I guess I've watched too many fast and furious movies because I was having visions of my car about to blow up. So, I quickly started grabbing my kids out of the car who were surprisingly calm except for a complaint from Gray about the powder being in his eyes. I relocated them both to a median on the side street where the nice college kid who I hit watched them (yep, I let a stranger watch my kids while I dug for my cell phone which went flying when we hit -- he didn't have one).
Thankfully the cop was nice, the guy I hit was nice, the EMTs were nice, the tow-truck guy was nice. Of course, no one had a reason to be mad when I immediately admitted that I was an idiot and it was completely my fault! A random lady who saw it happen and obviously felt sorry for me even went and got donuts and brought them back to us, which was an amazing blessing and wonderful thing to keep my 3 year old still and occupied as he sat on the median. I just kept saying over and over again, "Thank you God for air bags, and car seats, and car insurance, and that my vehicle was 10 years old, and that no one was in the guy's passenger seat (because God forbid, that person would not be in good shape), and that Carrie was late getting to the gym and could come get us, that we had already been saving for a new vehicle, ect, ect, ect.
Thank you Jesus for watching out for us today! And for watching out for us every day when we don't even realize all the ways you protect us!
After we left the accident, we got in Carrie's car and Grayson said,
"Mommy, that was SO bad!"
"You broke your carhicle!" (yup, that is a combination of car and vehicle if you didn't catch that -- he doesn't know the term SUV yet)
"Don't worry Mommy, we'll get you another carhicle just like that one."
So today, I say good-bye to my Xterra which transported me out of high school, through college, into marriage and into parenthood, in the four different cities in which we've lived. And I thank God for keeping me safe in it for the last 10 years. And especially today for watching over my precious angels in the back seat, that I love and cherish and will try my hardest to never take for granted. Because they are precious cargo!
