My tire blow out story & God’s protection
My tire blow out story illustrates God’s faithfulness.
I’ve been struggling with feeling seen and loved. I read my Bible, study the wisdom within its pages, pray, sometimes sing, sometimes weep. God sees me. He loves me. This I know. He sees you and loves you, too.
Still, I can’t explain it. I need confirmation of it, not just within the scriptures, but in a random thought, a physical illustration. Seeing it in my people, knowing my contributions, offerings, life matter play a part. Somehow it seems this comes from people, but I know it shouldn’t. It doesn’t. We are supposed to look to God for everything. The truly faithful rest in Him. They just need God, not people.
Emotions mask truth: never alone
That’s all backward though. God created us as social creatures. We need each other. Yet, it’s true: God is our strength, our provider, our protector, our guide, our counselor, our friend, our maker. He provides everything we need. He knows what we want or need, even if we can’t formulate the thought.
Anyway, last Thursday, God spoke loud and clear that He watches over me and my family.
My daughters required visits to the orthodontist: one for a checkup and one for repair of a loose wire. Afterward, I purchased groceries and headed home.
My tire blow out story
A winter storm advisory notified us the weather would change soon. That worked for me because we’d be home by 4:30, thus avoiding the impending slippery roads.
A warning light on the dash caught my attention as we entered a long curve that went downhill with steep ditches alongside. I asked Kaitlyn to check the manual so that I knew what it was as I paid attention to the road, travelling at 55 m.p.h. She insisted it could wait until we got home. Just as I blurted that I thought it meant a tire was low on air, we heard a strange blasting noise.
“What was that?” I checked the rearview mirror to see a car close behind me.
“I think the back tire blew,” Kaitlyn said.
Slowing, I switched on my blinker and pulled over, flipping my hazards since we were still on a dangerous section of the highway. Traffic zipped past as Kaitlyn jumped out to verify that the back, right tire had blown out.
Great. We had a flat, and I didn’t know how to change it.
Emily switched seats because the passing traffic made her nervous. Fearing getting hit as dusk approached, I moved us forward a bit and stopped. We were reading and waiting for my husband to rescue us when a police officer stopped across the road. Thinking help had arrived, I opened my window. He asked if we had a problem. When he heard my husband was on his way to help, he told us to drive over to an intersecting dead end and wait there because it was too dangerous where we were. He assured me it was okay to drive on the tire that far and left. Making a turn, however, slipped the tire off the rim. So, we waited as the rain began and darkness descended.
Large, wet flakes carpeted everything when Pat arrived, and we worked together to get the spare out from UNDER the front of the van and secure the spare in place so we could drive.
Thanking God
I shudder to think of all the things that could have gone wrong that didn’t. I didn’t lose control of the vehicle. God kept us safe when the tire blew, when the traffic sped by, when we changed the flat in the dark with the help of a flashlight phone app. Everything worked as it should with the spare, unlike another time we experienced a flat. Although limited visibility and poor night vision caused me to creep my way home, we arrived to our warm home by 6:15.
I may not know what my day holds, but God does. Whatever happens, He stands beside us. Sometimes he prevents tragedy. Sometimes he comforts us as we heal, but He never leaves us.
Even when we don’t see or feel that He is with us. He is. Praise be to God. I am thankful. I am humbled.
Do you have a tire blow out story? Share a moment when you felt God’s protection. Thanks.
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Photo by Robert Katzki on Unsplash.
8 Replies to “My tire blow out story & God’s protection”
I’m so glad you’re safe. How scary! God must have a plan for you. 🙂
Thanks, Jill. Through different sources, I’ve been reminded that God knows the numbers of our days. Knowing this should release the pressures so joy can enter back in. It’s such an amazing revelation when you pay attention to the small things in life. God lives in all the details. Sometimes we just need these reminders. At least I do. Have a good week and may you be blessed with God’s tender messages to you.
That was very scary. I am thankful God protected you all.
Thank you so much, Melissa.
One time, years ago when our children were all still at home, we were on our way home (to Michigan) to spend Christmas with my parents. We called my Dad before we left to check the weather there, and he said it was fine. It was okay here, too, so we headed out. About half-way there it started to snow, hard. We were on the Interstate. A car came up behind us, fast, and when it got about even with us, it started to slide right toward us. However, there just “happened” to be an exit there. We quickly shot off on that. We soon got back on the highway and made it home safely, thanking God for keeping us safe the whole way.
Wow! That’s an exciting story to remember. I’m so thankful you saw the exit He provided at just the right time. It pays to be alert, for sure. It’s reassuring that God watches over us and keeps us safe. Thanks for sharing, Donna.
Several years ago I was traveling to an appointment and didn’t realize how much a previous snow was now drifting due to very strong winds. I am a petrified driver when it comes to snow and ice, so I had just turned the corner and so was going very slow when I hit a snow drift at the top of a hill. My vehicle started sliding sideways, and headed towards the very steep ditch on the opposite side of the road. All I could think in those fast moments was, “I’m going to roll,” and, “Jesus!!!!!!” Somehow my SUV when straight down that ditch without rolling, spun around, and hit an electric box which stopped us. I was safe; my airbags didn’t even go off. I called my husband, but also called a local tow truck to come pull me out. An officer stopped and checked on me, I told him what had happened and that help had been called, and he parked his patrol car with it’s lights flashing on the side of the road behind me so that no one else would hit the same drift and careen down the ditch and hit me. In my mind there was no way that my car shouldn’t have rolled, and the outcome could have been way worse. Some minor bumper repairs and living another day. God was watching. I drive by that spot often, and can only be amazed.
That sounds really scary, Deb! I’m so glad you didn’t roll! Remembering and hearing how God protects us and others helps build and keep our faith strong. Thanks for sharing this example of His protection and provision.