Just Plain Lucky

“Ma'am you are just plain lucky” the kind gentlemen said as we both stared down the embankment. There were two problems with this statement, first I hate when anyone calls me ma'am that term should be reserved for those over 70; I prefer to be a Miss. Secondly, luck really? I just traveled down 4 lanes of traffic, hit some ice while changing lanes and then proceeded to do spin completely around in one direction and then completely around in the other direction. I watched as headlights came at me and then moved just in time, I watched as the cars slid by only inches from my bumper. After the second spin, my car slammed into a snow bank pushing the mound of snow over several feet. When the car finally came to rest I got out and realized that I was only a few feet from where the Mississippi River Bridge began. The cement barriers that would have protected me from falling to the frozen water below were significantly smaller than the snow bank that saved me from the steep embankment.

Lucky.
So is luck the air of fortune that blows by? Is luck when you leave a moment later because you left your wallet in the house and had to run back in, only to find that you missed an accident on the way to work by just a sheer moment? Is luck when someone else bought the car you wanted and the engine died two weeks later? Lucky you weren’t the sap who got stuck with that.

Luck and coincidence.
Coincidentally for me a fire fighter pulled up behind me and took control of the situation and coincidentally an Army soldier pulled up shortly after with his truck and a tow strap. Coincidence or something more? Luck or something entirely different?

Here is my proposition, the creator of the earth, God, spared me. He held my car in His hands. He sent His angels who pushed the other cars to the side. He provided the snow bank and made sure to keep me from making it to the bridge. He then provided the fire fighter and then the army soldier. He knew their willing, serving hearts and knew they would choose to stop. This for me is so much easier to believe than the idea that by some wave of good fortune, or by some arbitrary distribution of events, it was my turn to be lucky. This perfect chain of events that happened to remind me who my creator was; was no accident.

The struggle even I have with this theory? A few weeks ago another woman was heading home from work, swerved to avoid a stalled car and rolled her car into a pond. Sadly, she passed away. She was mother to a little girl. The sweet little girl will live the rest of her life without her mother. Where were her angels? Where were God’s hands then? Maybe this is why people choose to look to luck. I can only struggle with the multitude of possibilities although I realize God is so much bigger than. My brain is so significantly smaller than his. While I can’t explain why God allows some tragedies and prevents others. I will say this. Some things happen my someone’s choice and some things happen by chance. God has control through all. He allows people to make choices and He allows life to happen. He is there every step of the way. He will provide support through tragic times, He will work through all things to draw you closer to Him. He will use every circumstance (good and bad) to turn you towards Him.

It’s only my personal belief but I believe, God was with that mother. I believe He held that car in His hands. I believe His angels held her hand as she was carried to the gates of Heaven. Just as He will with me, when it is my time.

I stood bewildered looking down this embankment listening to this man tell me how lucky I was. I shook my head at the kind gentlemen who stopped to help, “luck” I said “had nothing to do with this.” I gave him a hug and thanked him and thanked God for another day.