A Close Call

There was a time when I worked with a local non-governmental organization (NGO), and I was supposed to travel to a town that was 250 miles away in order to attend a workshop and evaluate some projects in that area.  I would have travelled alone via public transportation, but I was with an office manager who was also travelling to the same location because she was a new employee and needed to meet with some staff in that region’s branch office.  As a result, we had access to the company’s car and a driver, so we took off before dark.  During that time there had been a large number of accidents on the long country road that we were taking, because it was a very rural area that needed a lot of repair work.  The tight corners and twisting bends were very dangerous, and I actually discussed how a friend of mine survived a near-fatal car-wreck on the same road in another article.  

Extreme Caution Required

We all knew that this was a dangerous road, so we remained vigilant, and I explained to them that there was a specific point at which my friend had been in a deadly car-crash that nearly claimed her life, and so we watched for that bend.  The place where these accidents usually occurred was tough to spot, because it comes up suddenly, is on un-paved road, and the breaking opportunity is very brief.  However, I was also interested in seeing the location where my friends had experienced their wreck for the sake of knowing why and how it could have happened.  One of the passengers alerted me to the fact that we were approaching the area, but she assured me that the road was flat, and there were no turns ahead.  This had me perplexed, because I distinctly remembered my friend describing a sharp turn right around the same area, but everything was even and flat for miles ahead.  We all relaxed as we gazed out upon the easy open fields of grasses and crops.  

Then It Happened . . .

However, we all soon learned about how treacherous this road actually was when we were moving along at a nice speed and although the road looked clear and straight, it suddenly diverged.  Before she could finish telling me that we had come to that same surprise turn, we were already in a slide on the loose dirt, and I started panicking, screaming, and praying aloud.  Everything was moving so quickly, and the vehicle had so much force that I thought that I was in a dream.  Meanwhile, I knew that it was real due to the pain that I felt in my legs as we spun out of control.  

Total Calm

During my prayers there was a time when I felt at complete peace and totally calm – Almost as though I was completely ready for anything, and even my death.  Although I was horrified by what was happening, I was also strangely calm in knowing that only God could save us from our current situation.  So far as I am concerned, we survived due to divine intervention, which has helped me relieve myself of all anxiety related to cars and the situation that occurred on that day.  We came to a stop, and everybody was OK as we waited for help to arrive.

Since that time I have counted my blessings and recognized that even with vigilant preparation and an abundance of caution, my death could have occurred in a fraction of a second.  There is no need to fear such events – We can simply prepare for them to the absolute best of our ability, and the rest is in God’s hands.

-Anonymous Contributor