A Miracle I'm Still Reeling Over

This afternoon I saw the Savior of the World play at the LDS Conference Center. I parked on Main Street right up next to 200 North -- right next to the center. Pretty sweet parking spot right? Well... it would have been, if not for the snow and freezing weather we had that day. By the time the play ended, there was a LOT of ice on the road. And to get away from the parking spot I had to go down a reasonably steep hill.

Do you see where this is going?

I slowly started to make my way down 200 North (the street right behind the Conference Center). I drove maybe 15 feet down the street before I started to slide... and spin... incredibly slowly toward a car on the right side of the road. I very, very narrowly missed that car. But then as I continued to spin and slide I moved toward a car on the other side of the road. I very, very narrowly missed that car, too. It was horrifying. My heart was racing and I felt completely helpless. There was nothing I could do but pray! I had this horrible vision of my car hitting another on either side of the road and all of them sliding to the bottom and halfway down the next block, creaming everything in their path, destroying my car, and slamming my insurance rates.

By some miracle, even though I spun and slid down two-thirds of that block, I didn't hit a single car on either side of the road, and I stopped before I could hit the one trying to get up the street from the bottom.

Thoroughly shaken, I drove south really slowly on 200 West. I really, really didn't want to slide again. I was so afraid of hitting something! I was terrified of traffic lights and having to stop at them. That fear intensified when I stopped at one, and the woman in the lane next to me started sliding toward me. Sliding really, really, really slowly. So slowly that the only reason I know she hit me was that I started moving to the right with the back of my car sliding faster than the front. Fortunately, there weren't any cars on the right side of me, so I didn't slide into anyone else.

If my heart had been racing before, it was sprinting at that point.

I looked at the woman in the other car. She was in her 70s and looked as shell-shocked as I. I mouthed the words "Are you okay?" She nodded in a freaked-out kind of way. I looked at her car and it looked a little beat up but not bad. She mouthed back "Are you okay?" I nodded, too, and then kept driving. I was in a hurry to get to another play, and since she had hit me I didn't think the hit-and-run rules applied... at least, I hope they don't.

Another miracle? When I checked my car it didn't have a scratch on it.

When I went to bed that night, I could still feel myself sliding and spinning down 200 North. I love the snow and I love winter in Utah, but I would not be opposed to going the rest of my life without ever feeling that hideous helplessness again. I'm sure it won't be the last time I ever feel that way. I am just so grateful that my prayers to come through that horrible sliding were answered. I almost can't believe that I came through unscathed. I know that Heavenly Father was looking out for me. It really was amazing.