We drove up to Tulsa to see some relatives. We took 75N and got stuck for an hour behind the tragic bus wreck in Sherman where 17 people died. We had no idea what was going on at the time until we arrived in Tulsa and someone told us about it.
Saturday, mid-morning, while driving from Tulsa to Oklahoma City on 44 we had a tire blow out. I thought we could change the flat and get right back on the road but the jack in our new car didn't go high enough. About two inches short of what we needed. We were stuck out there for nearly two hours in the hot August sun. And I was praying pretty hard for someone to stop to let us borrow their jack but no one did even with a 2 year old baby sitting with us on the hill by the side of the road. If you're ever in a situation like this do not stay in the car, people mistakenly ram parked cars on the side of the road.
The guy from the service call finally shows up. He had driven by about 30 min before but missed us because he thought we were at another location! The dude was quiet and not saying much I think he knew he had screwed up. So he jacks up my car and we get the tire on in 5 minutes. Without saying goodbye, he gets in his tow truck and waits for us to leave.
I reached into my bag and pulled out a Mark Cahill "One Heartbeat Away" book and walk over to his truck. His girlfriend opens the passenger window. I asked if he ever read. He said some. I gave him the book and said it was good and walked off. Not easy to do when I wanted to ream him for leaving my family on the side of the road so long in August heat.
While stuck on the side of the road, I tried to think about Paul while he was chained to Roman guards (Acts 27:1) & (Acts 28:16) or how he and Silas sang in the prison when an earthquake opened the prison doors (Acts 16:16-40). And, amazingly for me, at one small point I prayed for the people who kept driving by and not stopping to help us.
All came out well. When we stopped to eat in Oklahoma City, the temperature was well over 100 and I realized that God's wonderful mercy had saved us from that kind of heat on the side of the road with no cover!
Also, after we got back on the road we saw several cars on the side of the road and we didn't stop. If you do stop to help someone, be very careful of the situation.
Acts 16:25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
After our roadside experience: lunch time at Del Ranchos in Moore
2 comments:
Interesting story. Glad that you and the family made it safely home. I'm always too afraid to stop and help others on the side of the road. I try to remember to say a prayer for them as I'm passing.
Of course you don't stop to help others. Just like when someone jumpsin front of your car,wants to carjack you,or swindle quick money so the police aren't called,and you possible are charged with reckless driving or something.
More times than not,cars stopped on the side of a road, with someone waving you down especially, it is a scheme to rob and kill you.
In this day and age, anyone travelling by car,should have a charged up cell phone for emergencies.
-Les
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