Who says the Holy Spirit isn't active in our lives each and every day? I'm using this story as a way to remind everyone to remind everyone that God will bless us if we only ask....

One afternoon, my grandson Kyle and I went to his St. Henry Tigers' semi-championship football game. They won handily. Afterward, we went to Murfreesboro to see his cousin Hailey's cheerleading competition. They didn't fare quite so well, finishing in last place in their division.

On our way back home to Nashville, Kyle and I had to drive through a pouring rainstorm. I began to pray that God would help us get home safely. While on I-440 about a quarter-mile past Hillsboro Road exit, my car hydroplaned and all I could see was that we were heading into the concrete barrier along the right side of the road. We started spinning out of control. I began to turn the wheel into the skid.

Just seconds before, there had been cars zooming past us on both sides. Yet somehow, all of the cars managed to get out of our way as we spun around three or four times, the driver's side rear slamming into the metal guardrail on the left side of the road. I was eventually able to drive the car out of the middle of the Interstate and over to the right shoulder of the road, coming to a stop beneath an underpass.

Getting the car off of the Interstate was somewhat of a miracle in and of itself. This is because, according to the police officer who later arrived, Mercurys and Fords have an automatic shut off (at least in that model) when the car begins to spin.

Once beneath the underpass, the motor would not restart. A wonderful Good Samaritan lady stopped; already, she had called 911 for an ambulance (she just knew that someone had to have been hurt) and the police. When the policeman arrived, he was able to re-set the automatic shut off and I was able to drive the car home.

I was quite shaken up, but there was not a scratch to either Kyle or me.

Looking back on it all, I am sure the Holy Spirit had to have been guiding my car and several guardian angels as well when I started to have trouble. This is because all who know me know that I am not the best driver in the world and that I am more likely to do the WRONG thing than the right thing. Moreover, at 6:00 pm on a Saturday night, that stretch of the road is usually very busy (and it was just before and just after our white-knuckled ride!!). Also at that time, it was raining very heavily. Why no other cars slid into me or to each other, is amazing in and of itself.

SO:

+ God did answer my prayer and got us home safely.

+ Neither Kyle or I are any worse for the wear!

+ While my car got some damage to the rear side and trunk, it could have been so much worse.

+ Always buckle up your seat belts BEFORE you hit the road, even short distances! As I told my parents, if this had happened to them, we'd be visiting them in the hospital or the morgue -– because they both refuse to wear seat belts! But Kyle and I WERE buckled in.

Love you all.

Monica B.

Nashville, TN