Rising from the Deep

Dear Risers,

A few days ago I could have very easily lost my life. Or in the very least, gotten severely injured. And when something threatens your existence like that, it’s not only life-altering (it’ll leave you shaken), but it’s very humbling (it will leave you grateful).

I know that it wasn’t just luck that saved me. I know it was something much more powerful than that and I owe it to my faith that in the face of utter terror, somehow there was a sliver of strength that rose up in defiance to the enemy’s plans.

I was making my regular commute back home from college on a Thursday evening. It was gorgeous outside and there was a considerable amount of traffic during my 1 hour ride home.

Driving in the fast lane, probably pushing 75-80 miles an hour, I was minding my own business when suddenly I looked to my right and I saw a black SUV smoothly and swiftly coming over into my lane. He wasn’t cutting me off cleanly, barely missing me by a thread. I remember his car appeared to be side by side with mine. He must’ve come up from behind at an incredible speed the way he creeped up in the middle lane and caught up to me without a care.

Without much time to beep and definitely no time nor room to brake, I braced myself knowing that if I didn’t move right away, we were going to collide. So I swerved to the left, hoping to somehow land on the grass where I would be able to roughly stop, but to my surprise, as soon as I took action, my car started spinning and I lost complete control.

In what seemed like a blur, I realized my car was going in a 360 in the middle of the highway and I remember the jerky movements it made as I immediately started praying, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus – Help me, help me, help me!” And I just repeated it over and over and over. I don’t know how many times my car spun around, but I remember the friction of my tires grinding on the road and hearing the sound as I felt so helpless.

I didn’t feel like I was going to die, but I felt like I didn’t know what was going to happen next. My life didn’t flash before my eyes but I thought to myself, “Oh God, how is this going to end? I know I’m going to crash, but how and when?” I was waiting for the moment of impact and yet still I cried out without a hesitation or pause in my prayer, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus – Help me, help me, help me!”

I wanted my car to stop. I wanted to regain control desperately. My thoughts were frantic, but my prayer though simple as it was, remained firm and still.

I was scared but I trusted in God, no matter the outcome. “Jesus, Jesus, JESUS. HELP ME, HELP ME, HELP ME!” – until finally, my car stopped so abruptly. Shocked, I looked around. I was in both the middle lane and the left lane of one of the busiest highways in New Jersey during rush hour traffic. My car was pointing west towards the grass on the left side of the road, where I had hoped to go in the first place.

I immediately looked to the left as the driver’s side of my car was facing oncoming traffic. I was so sure someone was going to immediately hit me and that would be it.

But when I looked over, all of the cars had come to a complete stop from a safe distance. Again, I was in complete shock.

No one had hit me.

I had hit no one else.

How was that possible?

How was this logical?

I immediately put on my emergency lights and moved my car onto the grassy shoulder on the left side of the road. I had to drive into a bit of a shallow ditch but it was safer than in the middle of the highway.

I put my car in park and started breathing very heavily. I just couldn’t believe what had happened.

Then I saw another car pull onto the grass ahead of me and a kind middle-aged gentleman immediately got out and ran up to me to see if I was alright.

“Hi, are you okay? I saw the whole thing.”

I was so shook. I asked, “Was that my fault? You saw what happened?”

He said, “No, that guy totally cut you off. He’s long gone now. You’ve got some major driving skills, girl. I don’t know how you didn’t hit anyone.”

And I just said, “I just kept praying the whole time, saying ‘Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, help me, help me, help me,’ and that’s exactly what He did.” Then I just went on and on about how I couldn’t believe no one had gotten hurt. My voice was still shaking and I was out of breath.

I remember his daughter who looked like she was in middle school jumped out of the car too. She had slept through the whole thing and was confused and upon being briefly told what happened by her dad, then said, “Cool!” That was the moment I could laugh and breathe easier.

Afterwards, I thanked the man for coming out to check on me. He told me I should invest in a dash cam and he was glad I was okay and said I could safely be on my way. Then he and his daughter left. I didn’t even catch his name. But I hope that he remembers what happened and that Jesus no doubt spared my life and the lives of the other drivers that day.

I didn’t immediately leave after that. I called my mom, told her what happened, and waited for all the traffic to leave before getting back on the road. My car drove just fine.

I am still in so much shock because what would have made sense was for me to have gotten hit or to have crashed into someone else’s car. But the fact that my car didn’t even suffer a scratch is so hard to wrap my head around.

There is power in prayer and no one can tell me otherwise. I could have easily slipped into swear words when my car lost control, but I guess you could say the holy spirit that lives in me took over.

I am so glad that His spirit lives in me. I am no perfect Christian. I’ve cussed when irritated before, but in that scary moment, “Jesus,” was the first thing out of my mouth.

My desperate plea to the Lord saved my life that day. He heard every cry. Jesus took the wheel when life had taken a turn – a turn that could’ve been for the worst.

Psalm 18:6, In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.

Psalm 66:17-20, I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!

Psalm 34:17, When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.

We as human beings often need things to make sense in order for us to believe. We depend on logic and science to give us understanding. But what happened to me just didn’t make any sense. Logic tells me that I should’ve crashed that day and probably physics too. Who knows what would have happened if I had.

I was probably spinning for less than ten seconds but it felt like such a long time. It doesn’t even take long for life to change in an instant.

I was spinning in at least two lanes. I had touched no one. Even when my car had stopped, how did no car hit me? I WAS IN THE FAST LANE.

It was nothing short of miraculous. I could have died. Logic tells me that I should have died. But God defies logic. He supercedes it. He outlies it. He is superior to what we call infallible and undebatable.

But that is my God. And the name of Jesus is an important part of the conversation.

John 14: 6-7 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Lord Jesus, I am so thankful that You heard my prayer. I am so grateful to be alive today to tell this story. Maybe some people will say it was luck, but I know better than to call it that. You took the wheel that day. You saved my life and defied all logic in doing so.

I pray that others will be encouraged and will know the power of your name in the most dangerous of situations. There is power in praying in the name of Jesus. I will never be ashamed to say that and I will never forget nor downplay what You did for me.

Thank You for Your steadfast love, Your grace, and Your mercy towards me.

Risers, don’t be afraid to believe and never hesitate to pray. Remember the power of His name and that having faith can literally save your life.

Keep Rising,

E