"Jesus Take The Wheel"

Have you ever heard that song, "Jesus Take the Wheel" by Carrie Underwood?

If not, take a listen:



or you can just skip it and I'll get right to my post.

I think I have told you before about how I have gone into the a few different doctors to let them know my concern of how tired I am all the time.

After I tell them about my life's situations they always reply something to the effect of, "Well, just listening to you talk about your life makes me tired... Have you ever thought that it's just because your life is stressful?"

...

Yep.

So, I just go through my life tired.

Pretty much ALL the time.

So tired.

Can't keep my eyes peeled open.

Tired.

I exercise, I take my vitamins and my thyroid meds, and I eat healthy.

So, I have just succumbed to my fate in knowing that I am just always tired.

Well, after yesterday, I've decided that I really need to do something about being tired.

I have about a 25 minute drive to my mom's house. Not bad. So when I get a chance, when the kids are home on holiday, I like to drive out there to spend some of the day to get some relief and the kids can have fun.

I loaded up my kids and we were off.

I was feeling OK as I got in the car, but, I guess, the hum of the motor, the droning of the music and the unusual quietness of my kids I started to realize how tired I really was. I did what I often do and started bobbing and singing to the music on the radio and pretending to have toothpicks between my eyelids to keep them propped open.

Maybe I wore myself out trying to stay awake because about 15 minutes into my drive I felt myself slowly wake up and see that I am drifting to my right into the lane next to me. I felt a certain calmness about me and I knew there had been angels protecting me and the kids—there was no one in that lane, no one close behind me in the other lane and I was able to safely and easily get back over to my original lane.

"OK, I'll be fine now," I thought. I had scared myself and I knew it wasn't gonna happen again after that, besides, I only had 10 minutes left... how could I possibly fall asleep again?

I don't remember to much after those thoughts other than trying to stretch my eyes open as wide as possible to keep from closing them at all... but, it must not have helped...

I slowly raised my head from leaning to my left side and groggily opened my eyes. I felt like I was seeing through a tunnel—everything on the outside vision was blurry and tunneled into a clear and narrow passage.

I realized I had fallen asleep again!

In the split seconds I had to react I was able to observe that I was to the left of the fast lane sneggled tightly between the cement wall of the overpass and the yellow line marking the edge of the freeway lanes. I am going 80 miles and hour and I see that a huge, white suburban has noticed what is going on and has backed off significantly to avoid an accident to a fuller extent.

There were no cars to my right or behind me for quite a few car lengths and I saw that there was a chance for me to get back onto the freeway safely.

I remember trying to turn the wheel to the right gently, but with the speed I was going and the grogginess I seemed to still be in I was starting to lose control of my car. The kids started screaming in the back seat, "What are you doing mom? Mom!!! Mom!!! What are you doing!!!??"

After a few wavy attempts to straighten out on the lane I was able to get it back under control.

It was like there was an awkward silence between me and all the other drivers as we thanked God we were all OK and it hadn't been worse than it was.

I sensed drivers giving me room to move over to the exit that was about half mile away.

It was the exit I was going to be taking to get to my mom's.

I was almost there and I had fallen asleep.

The kids' faces were white as the shirt I wore and my heart was racing!

I can't believe I did that twice! Twice! Within 10 or 15 minutes!

The entire way down the long country road to my mom's house I kept replaying the ordeal in my head and all the while knowing there was NO way I could have done all that without the help of divine intervention. We were saved by angels and the grace of God.

I was embarrassed to tell me my mom and dad about it when I got there but the kids were still pale/green and I still looked a little shocked and tired so I had to explain.

Needless to say they were grateful we made it there safely, but then proceeded to worry about me and getting me to a doctor to find out why I am so tired all the time.

Anyway, after all this I just kept thinking of how often Jesus has taken the wheel and gotten my and my family back into a safe and loving place to be.

Especially with all my thoughts of our amazing Christmas Season and all the little blessings we had.

Like when we got this card on our doorstep accompanied by a mound of gifts.

I know it's side ways... tilt your head and stop complaining...

A warm and gentle reminder of how blessed we are and how no matter how down or defeated we may feel, we are always being watched over.

Because of our special Santa our kids had an amazing Christmas, but more than anything, I was truly humbled by the circumstances of our gifts.

I love what the card says, "A favorite moment, a treasured memory, a simple tradition, a family's love..." That is exactly what our Secret Santa experience will be—a favorite moment and treasured memory that I hope will one day be a tradition we can pass to others that can strengthen a family's love.

I have also had the privilege of "Jesus taking the wheel" in my life with the simple things like Kris Kringle coming for a special surprise visit to lift our spirits and bring holiday cheer to our kids.

What's more American that Santa Claus? Tee hee!

Or when I am reminded of the special friends Brother has had even since he was little, and to see how Heavenly Father has helped him through his struggles by sending him such wonderful friends his whole life. This is life saving to me because I sometimes get so discouraged that I will never be able to give my kids all they need to live as normal life as possible and then I am reminded of all the people in our lives that help raise our children.

 This is Brother with M, one of his friends from before our move to Orem. We had the privilege of having a "making gingerbread houses" party with old friends and it was as if the connection had never been broken with Brother and M were together that night. (I'll write more about night later.)

Now, I know Bryan has a beard like Jesus (insert laugh here), but he was just the tool in His hands to make Sister smile from ear to ear on a day that I was ready to crawl into a cave and hide away. This small, simple gesture cheered her up for the rest of the day and helped me come back to sanity.

It doesn't always take a life-saving event like steering me back on the freeway without incident to "save my life."

And it isn't always heavenly angels who save me either but the earthly ones too.

Like when grandma Lynne takes the time to snuggle with Baby just to make her smile.

Those are life saving moments too.