Only a Father

After a very great Sunday in Roosevelt and having a prayer answered all through church I didn't think the day could be much better. I had been struggling with recovering from a broken heart. I sincerely wanted to be able to feel the peace only the Savior can give. The healing that only comes from Him. Sunday had not only answered that prayer to be able to heal, but it had given me that peace I was searching for.

It reminded me of the important things in life. We had discussed adversity during church and why we have it, how to face it. I felt so good after church and I'm honestly so glad her family decided to stay all three hours before having a shindig.

Talking about the mission with a great missionary friend was so much fun. I also met some missionaries from the California Riverside mission. A few months prior at a mission homecoming in my own ward, I learned my friends aunt was the mission presidents wife for the Riverside mission. Since that mission is in the same region as my mission, our mission presidents and their wives went to conferences together and knew each other.

My friends mom suggested me and another friend follow each other to Midway. Her friend took the lead and I tried my best to keep up with him, sometimes it was hard but I followed him to Heber.

Let's be honest, the sunset was BEAUTIFUL! (So was the sunrise).

13 miles before Heber there was a thick fog. It was really hard to see through. Only when I turned on the bright lights did I realize it was rain and fog. It cleared up before Heber and passing through sign said it was 39 degrees outside and I thought, "perfect, so nothing is freezing yet."

I continued driving home. Updated my parents while stopped at a red light that I had made it to Heber. Driving around Deer Creek Reservoir there was another thick fog that came, but it wasn't snowing. Not yet anyways.

I was almost to the dam when it happened. It had been snowing maybe five minutes. I thought it was rain. It didn't look like snow on the windshield. The sign said to slow down and I was working in it. The car went a few inches into the inside shoulder. The noise of the tires spinning without traction filled my ears. I tried to get the car back into the safety of my lane. The wheels were already spinning. The car zigzaged between both lanes. The left side of the car hit the inside safety rail.

Thanks to the laws of physics, energy isn't lost, just transferred. So the car headed for the outside safety rail, head on. Mind you, there is a frozen lake on the other side of the safety rail. The car started spinning a few rotations only to be stopped once again by the outside safety rail. This time when the car hit, I noticed all these headlights facing me. The unmistakable noise of metal smashing, the airbags explode.

For me, it wasn't a "Jesus take the wheel" moment. I knew on the other side of that rail was a frozen lake, a little cliff to get to it, and the thing that kept me on the road was a short safety rail. Which my car had just hit twice and was now sliding outwards and backwards against it. For me it was a, "I'm good to go, just not the lake" moment. Spare my parents from the lake.

They say your life flashes before your eyes in scary moments. Time slowed down and sped up. I felt peace. I felt like if I met God, I would be at peace. I wasn't hurt or angry any more. I felt at a good spot.

The car moved, where the inertia came from, only God knows. The car slid back across both lanes to the inside rail and mostly stopped. It turns out even if the car is smoking, and it's all over the road, if you put it in park and turn it off, it can still roll backwards on a relatively flat road. Good thing the emergency brake worked still.

Getting out and seeing the car in pieces and all over the road, I don't know how I was standing. I didn't know how I was alive.

Sorry it is back lit. 

On the tow truck

Don't ask how the hubcap broke

Car parts

I also got to chill out in the back of an ambulance. They do normal things to make sure you aren't dying like blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen levels. They gave me a few weird looks when I was with them. The first came when they told me my blood pressure was 125/80 and I told them that was high. I showed them my blood don't card to back up my statement. But my heart rate was a good 62, which is what it was the week prior. When I'm nervous, I tend to gab. So I talked their ears off and asked them medical questions. I also got to sign a paper that said I didn't want to go to the hospital.

I think the BIGGEST blessing of all is being alive, "after a series of miracles. I honestly don't know how I am alive and walking other than a loving God who answered my prayers many times today. I am glad for the the blessing of being with my family tonight and not in the hospital or at the bottom of a lake. Simple but fervent prayers are answered and although after my experiences today, I would be content with meeting my God I am grateful for my mom's reminder that my work on the earth is not finished. I am glad for the people who stayed with me. I am grateful that when my phone didn't work, someone let me use theirs. I am grateful I was the only one in the car. I am grateful. I am grateful after playing pingpong ball with my car and the safety rails, the rails didn't break. I am grateful the car had airbags and all I have is bruises, and burns. I am grateful for my God who sent people to help me.I am grateful I didn't know what the weather was like in Roosevelt so I took my winter coat. It ended up being a huge blessing after the wreck who's it was snowing outside and I was in shock. He always sends people to help. He always answers our prayers." I stick by this Facebook post.

I am grateful for a Father in Heaven who loves me. I am grateful to be alive. I'm grateful for simplicity.

I am grateful I made it home safe. That's the ultimate goal, to make it back safely home. Both everyday and in the long run. I want to return safely to my Heavenly Father. I'm glad he let me stay on earth a little bit longer.

In the end, the only injuries I know I have is a blister on my hand, a bruise and some scrapes on my left leg, and two bruises on my right leg. All injuries are from the airbags. I am so grateful the airbags deployed.

I am grateful my truck was in the auto repair getting my airbags fixed. I am so grateful.

Only my Father in Heaven could hear and answer my prayers. I know He is always listening to each of us, every time we talk with Him. He loves you. He wants to help you. He wants to bless you. He wants you to return to Him. He is with us in our time of greatest need. He is with us when we feel we don't need Him. He is ALWAYS there. Just as He has been and just as He week continue to be.