The day started out good. Good for a 5am wake-up to meet my sister and return my niece back to her. I dropped my hubby off at work in downtown Pittsburgh and headed on my 4.5 hour drive to Beckley, WV. I have driven this route numerous times. We used it just 3 weeks prior to visit family in NC and TN (where I am from). So it is a very familiar route. I am familiar with the turns, hills, popping of the ears and even the occasional animal on the road.
The day was going well. We had just had a "pit" stop and Starbucks break. (something Mommy definitely needed with 4 kids in the car) We were on 79 South and going up the mountains when I saw the deer. It was close but i thought I could avoid it. So I swerved to the right to miss it. Being in the right lane already and it being in the left, I figured this was the best option. Well the deer must have sensed my move and went back toward the mountain on the right. I braked...HARD... I am not sure if I screamed or not. The kids had no clue what was going on. SMACK, THUD, dragging noise, and another bump. I hit the deer.
I was able to safely pull over to the side of the road about 1/4 -1/2 mile up the road. I started to cry. I cried that I hit a deer and it was dead, I cried because it was the 2nd accident in 7 months with the van, I cried because we were all still alive. When you hit a deer doing between 50-70mph (though I was slowing down from a cruise position of 72 before I saw the deer) you know there is a good chance of your car flipping. I knew my odds in the van but I prayed as I knew I was going to hit the deer that He would keep my car with all 4 kids and myself safe. He listened! He is GOOD!
It took several minutes for me to calm down and actually call my husband. My wonderful husband. He is just the way I needed him to be. God must have known I needed a man who would not yell or scream or belittle me for something like this. Instead, he kept asking if I was ok, if the kids were ok. He didn't care that the front end of the car was completely gone. He cared about what was most important, our lives. Again, God is Good!
Trying to figure out what to do when you are stuck in another state and involved in an accident is very chaotic. I do not like chaos... I like PLANS & Directions! Surprises do not do well with me. (you are reading about the girl who kept asking about when we were getting engaged...lucky he proposed at all!) So to hit a deer and have that to deal with and not be able to meet my sister was totally throwing me for a loop.
Finally, decided to call AAA and our insurance people. We wound up having AAA tow my car back to N.E. Allegheny County were our wonderful repair shop is located. Now, imagine this. Woman, 4 kids and a tow truck driver in an extended cab flatbed tow truck. But know what, God is good! The kids were fairly well behaved. A game of slapsies in the back by the 2 4-year olds had to be interrupted by me twice. But we survived.
I am so thankful to have a wonderful Mother-in-law and gracious sister-in-law who cancelled their plans for the day to help me and the kids. Without them it would have been an interesting 2-3 mile walk from the shop to my house...not something else I would have liked to do.
In church Sunday, I knew my heart was just heavy from everything. The car and some other personal issues were just weighing on my heart.
Earlier in the week, I had watched Facing the Giants (great movie if you want my recommendation). It had a theme of giving it ALL to God. Not just the good, but the disappointments too. Trusting Him no matter what. Even when that means the answer is No.
Well I am a control freak (remember me asking when we were getting engaged...) So for me to give Him control is something that I am not really good at doing. Well as I said up above, we were in church on Sunday and I knew that I just had to let go. It is not in my power to do everything or fix everything or protect everyone. I would like to, but that's not my job. It is His. So I gave it to God. I chose to give up something I never really had...control. It is an illusion when we think we have it. Trust me. I wasn't in control of the deer. If I had been, that deer would have been on 79 North and not South! But God was in control. Who knows what other circumstance was waiting for me and the kids had we not had that accident. God uses EVERYTHING to HIS purpose and HIS glory!
So on Tuesday we got a blessing in disguise. Did you know that when you hit a deer it falls under comprehensive and not collision? (make sure you have both on your car people) Well our deductible for comp is less than collision! Again, GOD IS GOOD!!! I was already fretting about finances with the extra for the towing (we do have AAA plus which covered 100 of the 154ish miles) but the extra was still quite a bit. God knew our need. He always does.
So that is my God is Good story! I hit a deer. God kept my car on the ground. He kept the deer under my car rather than in my windshield or even in my car! (have heard of these happening) He kept my children, niece and myself safe! The car is a material thing and can be replaced. Human life can not! God is good in His protection, provision and love ALL the time!
The day was going well. We had just had a "pit" stop and Starbucks break. (something Mommy definitely needed with 4 kids in the car) We were on 79 South and going up the mountains when I saw the deer. It was close but i thought I could avoid it. So I swerved to the right to miss it. Being in the right lane already and it being in the left, I figured this was the best option. Well the deer must have sensed my move and went back toward the mountain on the right. I braked...HARD... I am not sure if I screamed or not. The kids had no clue what was going on. SMACK, THUD, dragging noise, and another bump. I hit the deer.
I was able to safely pull over to the side of the road about 1/4 -1/2 mile up the road. I started to cry. I cried that I hit a deer and it was dead, I cried because it was the 2nd accident in 7 months with the van, I cried because we were all still alive. When you hit a deer doing between 50-70mph (though I was slowing down from a cruise position of 72 before I saw the deer) you know there is a good chance of your car flipping. I knew my odds in the van but I prayed as I knew I was going to hit the deer that He would keep my car with all 4 kids and myself safe. He listened! He is GOOD!
It took several minutes for me to calm down and actually call my husband. My wonderful husband. He is just the way I needed him to be. God must have known I needed a man who would not yell or scream or belittle me for something like this. Instead, he kept asking if I was ok, if the kids were ok. He didn't care that the front end of the car was completely gone. He cared about what was most important, our lives. Again, God is Good!
Trying to figure out what to do when you are stuck in another state and involved in an accident is very chaotic. I do not like chaos... I like PLANS & Directions! Surprises do not do well with me. (you are reading about the girl who kept asking about when we were getting engaged...lucky he proposed at all!) So to hit a deer and have that to deal with and not be able to meet my sister was totally throwing me for a loop.
Finally, decided to call AAA and our insurance people. We wound up having AAA tow my car back to N.E. Allegheny County were our wonderful repair shop is located. Now, imagine this. Woman, 4 kids and a tow truck driver in an extended cab flatbed tow truck. But know what, God is good! The kids were fairly well behaved. A game of slapsies in the back by the 2 4-year olds had to be interrupted by me twice. But we survived.
I am so thankful to have a wonderful Mother-in-law and gracious sister-in-law who cancelled their plans for the day to help me and the kids. Without them it would have been an interesting 2-3 mile walk from the shop to my house...not something else I would have liked to do.
In church Sunday, I knew my heart was just heavy from everything. The car and some other personal issues were just weighing on my heart.
Earlier in the week, I had watched Facing the Giants (great movie if you want my recommendation). It had a theme of giving it ALL to God. Not just the good, but the disappointments too. Trusting Him no matter what. Even when that means the answer is No.
Well I am a control freak (remember me asking when we were getting engaged...) So for me to give Him control is something that I am not really good at doing. Well as I said up above, we were in church on Sunday and I knew that I just had to let go. It is not in my power to do everything or fix everything or protect everyone. I would like to, but that's not my job. It is His. So I gave it to God. I chose to give up something I never really had...control. It is an illusion when we think we have it. Trust me. I wasn't in control of the deer. If I had been, that deer would have been on 79 North and not South! But God was in control. Who knows what other circumstance was waiting for me and the kids had we not had that accident. God uses EVERYTHING to HIS purpose and HIS glory!
So on Tuesday we got a blessing in disguise. Did you know that when you hit a deer it falls under comprehensive and not collision? (make sure you have both on your car people) Well our deductible for comp is less than collision! Again, GOD IS GOOD!!! I was already fretting about finances with the extra for the towing (we do have AAA plus which covered 100 of the 154ish miles) but the extra was still quite a bit. God knew our need. He always does.
So that is my God is Good story! I hit a deer. God kept my car on the ground. He kept the deer under my car rather than in my windshield or even in my car! (have heard of these happening) He kept my children, niece and myself safe! The car is a material thing and can be replaced. Human life can not! God is good in His protection, provision and love ALL the time!
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