“Whoa!” Tim and I exclaimed at the same time. It happened while were waiting to turn onto Emory Road to go to church one Sunday morning. There was a car in front of us. After two cars passed on the far lane, the first car began to pull out. A white car zoomed by out of what seemed like nowhere. The car in front of us slammed on its brakes so hard that it bounced. I was amazed the cars didn’t have a wreck. As my momma would say: “It was so close that I felt the breeze.”
As for me, my first close call on the road happened in my teenage years. No, I wasn’t driving. My mom was. If you know her, then you know what a good driver she is. At this time, she had a Golden Eagle Jeep that she was very fond of. It was a straight shift and she loved to wind it out on Norris Freeway. She was especially happy if it backfired. On this one day, we had driven in it up to my mom’s friend’s house. We started back home about the time it began to rain. When we came to the end of the road, my mom turned right and into a curve. That’s when we saw it.
A car was coming around the curve and over on our side of the road. I was sure he was going to hit us head on. I yelled: “Mom!” as I grabbed onto the rollbar in case were to flip. My mom calmly veered us over onto the shoulder of the road. I could see the guy fighting the steering wheel, but it didn’t work. The next thing I knew he was sliding sideways and directly toward us. Again, my mom stayed calm and turned the jeep to the right so that we were completely off of the road. Actually, we were inside somebody’s front yard. The car continued on sideways around the curve.
“And he saith unto them. Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? The he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.” Matthew 8:26 (KJV)
I wonder if the men Jesus to whom was speaking were probably panicking and not thinking as they should because of it. When mom and I were faced with the out-of-control driver, I was in a panic as well. If I had been driving, there would’ve been a wreck. But because my mom was able to keep her cool, all of us were safe. So, when things happen in life, and they do to all of us, keep calm in the faith of your Savior.
After he slid past us, my mom pulled back out onto the road and continued on as if nothing had happened. After a couple of minutes, she glanced at me and gave a sly grin. “Did you feel the breeze off of that?”