The Little Red Car That Could...

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My first car was a 1978, two door, candy apple red, Datsun B210. I got the car in 1989. It was the summer before my senior year in college. I needed a car to complete my student teaching. ( I did my student teaching at a local high school about 2o minutes away from my college.) My uncle snagged me a good deal on the car. (thanks Uncle John!)  That little red car could get me where I needed. I loved it!

Long story short...the car never let me down, plus it got great gas mileage. After graduation (in Tennessee) I went back to my home state of Maryland. I had intended to go back there to live and work. Well, life has a way of putting a wrench in one's plans. So, that following September I was headed back to Tennessee for my first teaching gig. I had packed up all my earthly possessions in the little red car that could, and hit the road. Did I mention that my aunts and uncle also came with me? I don't really remember but, I think I had stuff in their car too. I was a young 20 something....I probably had a lot of junk to tote around.

As we were heading west on Interstate 40, coming into Knoxville, Tennessee...it happened. I had the lead in the little red car. My relatives were following behind me in the traffic. I was behind a flat bed semi. The guy had his load tarped. For whatever reason the tarp came loose, and flew through the air and landed squarely on my little car. The car was entirely covered by the tarp. Yes, you read correctly. I was going at least 55-60 miles an hour to keep up with traffic and now I was literally driving blind. Not many people have been in this situation, and let me tell you, it is not the sort of thing one learns in drivers ed. With my heart pounding in my ears, I took my foot off the accelerator, and I moved my car to the right, listening for the slight crunch of loose gravel on the shoulder of the road. When I thought I could hear the gravel on both front tires, I slowed down and stopped.

My family had witnessed the whole thing. The truck driver probably had no idea that his tarp had come loose and could very well have killed me. My heart beat went back to normal, I could breathe again, and I realized beyond a shadow of doubt that God's hand was on me that day.

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