Do you ever wonder about your guardian angel? Or how about the difference that can be made by a few seconds done differently? This past weekend, I had occasion to do some reflecting on both subjects, and it really is something to think about.
I was traveling down a small country road, en route to a friend's home for the weekend. I am a bit of a lead-foot when it comes to driving, always have been. But I often get this "feeling" -- just a glance at the speedometer will sometimes flood my senses with the notion that perhaps slowing down would be a good idea right about now. This has been going on as long as I can remember, and easily 90% of the time I will, within the next 5 minutes or so, come across a state trooper that would have had no choice but to give me a speeding ticket had I not reduced my speed only moments before. I credit this "feeling" to my guardian angel, and it has saved me countless times.
Then there is that other 10% of the time. I never thought much about those occasions when the trooper never showed up, just chalked the occasion down to a fluke, a miscommunication between my angel and me. But last week I was given a reason to believe that perhaps there is a bit more to that missing 10% than I had previously thought.
I was zipping on down the road, probably running between 65 and 70 mph, when I suddenly got the "feeling". As I said, I never ignore it, and immediately reduced my speed to about 58 and set the cruise control. Then I started watching for the inevitable trooper to pass me so I could relax. A mere 3 or 4 minutes later, though, something infinitely more terrifying happened, a moment that will forever be etched in my memory.
As I crested a hill, a fairly steep one that cars approaching from neither direction could see over, I was faced with a terrifying vision--in front of me there were two cars, side by side!! The car doing the passing had miscalculated and didn't have time to complete his pass safely, but by this time everyone was committed to his or her actions, for better or for worse. It was over in the blink of an eye--I didn't even have time to lift my foot off the floor to head for the brake. The passing car jerked his wheel hard and whipped into position in front of the other car, fighting for control of the wheel. The car he was passing managed to decelerate enough that he didn't ram the front car. I moved my wheels slightly to the edge of the road, lifting up a cloud of dust--I guess it was a reflex, since I didn't have time to conciously do anything to save myself. I saw the startled and terrified eyes of both drivers as I passed, almost as if in slow motion. We were all safe, but I think all three of us knew how close a call we had just had. I wonder if they were as profoundly affected as I was, though. Think about it--remember that "feeling", that extra few mph I had been doing only moments before? I am not all that good with math, but I have every reason to believe that it would have made the difference of a few seconds in the time I reached the crest of that hill. And a few seconds earlier, there would have been no way for any of us to avoid a fatal crash. So I started thinking that perhaps things like this made up that missing 10% of my "feelings", and began wondering at the complexities involved in the job of my guardian angel, and appreciating her guidance in my life.
If you are lucky and blessed enough to have a guardian angel, don't ever doubt her--who knows when a second here or a minute there could make the difference between life and death? What about that slow-poke that pulls out in front of you? In my experience, they are usually going to turn off soon if they are going that slow, and what if they were sent by your angel to keep you from something on down the road that hasn't happened yet?
Have you ever come across a crash that just happened, with pieces of car all over the road, and glass everywhere? Most of us probably have. What if it had been you there minutes earlier with no way to avoid a collision? Did you by any chance get a feeling that day? Or maybe some jerk cut you off then slowed down in front of you and you couldn't pass him right away. Next time, just chill out, and stop to take a deep breath. This could be the best thing for the point you are at in your journey--your angel could be trying to slow you down and save your life. Chances are, it will be like my missing 10%, and you will never know, but with enough faith and trust, perhaps your angel can get you though this life in one piece! © Friskyangel (SAB) 2000