This week, I lost complete control of my car. Driving from my house to visit a friend only two miles away in town, I rounded a bend on a flat and recently plowed road, driving the speed limit in the Self-Esteem Wagon, which was properly equipped with all-weather tires. Nevertheless, I hit a spot just right and begin to spin. And spin.
It took me a couple of beats to realize that I was no longer in charge of the car — that I was going to have to literally let go of the wheel and see where I ended up. Luckily for me, there were no oncoming cars, snow plows, or logging trucks in the opposite lane where I came to a stop, headed in the wrong direction.
For some reason, I wasn’t panicked, probably because I could see there was no impending crash with another vehicle and no beloved family member, friend, or dog was with me. I was alone, spinning around in a car made of tin, thinking “there’s just not one thing I can do here.”
Here’s What Happened Next
When the car came to a stop, I took a deep breath, said a prayer of thanks, and headed to town, purposely not thinking about how different that scenario could have been. My day finished with a friend offering me her home in Tuscany to use while I’m writing my book, and another friend donating $500 to my sabbatical fund. You just never know what a day’s going to bring.
So, because I am partial to country music and — to quote fellow Moth storyteller Mike Birbiglia — I am brand loyal to Jesus, I am including an appropriate song by Carrie Underwood. If Jesus doesn’t work for you, listen to it anyway — we can all appreciate the message of surrender. Makes me cry, every time.
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