A prayer request and

a prayer of gratitude!

Tonight we drove the 80 some miles between the old home and the new one in a wild storm that is still whipping itself about the house and surrounding areas. At one point the driving rain was making my ability to see through the streaming windshield through the dark night impossible. So I wisely choose to take the next exit off the highway. I dropped Miguel off in front of the gas station door before parking. Then I jumped out of the van into the pelting freezing cold rain and then dashed towards the door. When I got to it, I realized I had not locked the van. I peered back at over my shoulder. A small voice teased me "What idiot would ransack a van in this rain?" to which my other little voice chided "Murphy's law, Christi, Murphy's law."

My shoulders sagged and I jumped back into the rain trying to ignore how the wet gooey sticky feeling of the insoles of my sandles was getting gooier and more wet with every puddle I plowed through. I grabbed open the door and with my finger poised over the automated lock I wondered - do I have the keys? With icy rivers trickling down my neck, as well as into my eyes, I fumbled about searching my pockets for the keys only to realize I had them the... dang things grasped in my freezing fingers. Had it really been broiling hot when we left the house 45 minutes earlier? The van locked, I then raced back to the gas station and joined my son in front of the steaming hot coffee pots. A few minutes later we were back in the van and I quickly turned the a/c off while we sat there waiting to be able to see more than five feet ahead of our van.

Eventually I was able to head back onto the highway and Miguel called his dad on the cell phone. We learned that he and Noah, both in Hugo's 24' truck were now somewhere ahead of us. Hugo suggested we exit the I-85 and take the Business 85 and it would take us straight into town. I followed his advice and of course as we were coming up close to our exit the rain began to pour once more - making it very difficult to see. As Miguel and I searched the side of the road for the exit sign we both happened to notice at the same time that I was no longer on the highway and instead was now heading straight for a wall of stone and mud and better yet - this was not pavement we were on anymore but muddy grass....

We both yelled the exact same epitath of shock and I quickly swerved the steering wheel, convinced that the van was not going to listen but go into the wall anyway. Instantly we were back on the highway without hitting anyone or flipping over. PRAISE GOD!

My legs basically went numb with shock and my hands were shakey but the two of us laughed like fools. Amazing what a rush of adrenalain does to ones state of mind.

I said to Miguel, " Now THAT was a miracle!" to which my 19 year old replied;
"Yeah, that or just really good reflexes!"

I only had a few seconds to bask in that unexpected compliment as he then proceeded to experiment to determine where and how hard he would have hit his head had I not missed the wall....

Tonight after all were in bed, I stoped in front of our Baby Jesus and clasped his tiny hand and raised my eyes to Him in Heaven and thanked Him again for His saving miracle. I thanked him Hugo got home safe with our young son Noah and than Jonathan got home safe and that I had not killed my son and I.

I suspect that part of why we had this mishap is the extreme fatigue I am experiencing. Moving a full time business while also moving a home of 11 people and painting the complete house while waiting for it to be completly re-plumbed while living in it... is well, stressful and very, very tiring. So my prayer request is for a few deep restful nights of sleep. I won't be greedy - just a few would be great!