Slipping and Sliding in 1975

 “Bolivar school students will have the privilege to attend school today,” informed the

radio announcer.  Early this morning small ice pellets traveled downward through a layer

of warm air, melted slightly, and traveled downward still through a layer of cold air and

freezing before the pellets landed on the cold ground.  The build up of pelting sleet

created slightly hazardous road conditions for Polk County Residents on their journey to

work and to school.  It was not enough to cancel school.

     My family lived on a farm 12 miles from the Bolivar City limits.  As my dad came in

the back door from doing chores, which consisted of feeding and watering his cattle and

horses, he let in a blast of cold arctic air.  “Hey, dad, we are having school today.  How

are the roads,” I ask?

     “Oh, the roads are a little slick, but not bad.  You can drive to school.  You can make

it provided you travel around 40 mph.  The only challenge will be the hill by Joe’s

house,” my dad shared.

     This distance to the top of this hill was a long steep with one hump on the way up.  On one side of

the hill was our Joe’s house, and on the other side was a cow pasture.

     “This is what you do in order to climb up the slightly slick hill.  Increase your speed to

50 mph and hold your foot on the accelerator without pushing your foot down or up.  You

will decrease speed slightly as you climb, but should have enough momentum to reach

the top.  If you start to slide or fish tale, then turn into the slide,” my dad informed me.

     “Oh, okay,” I replied.  I was apprehensive.  I was a fairly new driver and had never

drove on icy roads before.

     My brother and I set out on our journey.  As I drove the blue oldsmobile out of the

driveway, we slid on the blacktop.  I immediately turned into the slide.  “Whew!  We

made that turn alright without landing in the ditch,” I said.  “These roads seem slick to

me,” I told my brother.

     We traveled along slowly silently.  After a couple of miles we were approaching the

dreaded hill.  In an attempt to calm myself, I breathed in deeply and began accelerating

up to 50 mph and held my foot in place just as my dad told me to do.  The minute we

started up the hill we began sliding to the left.  I quickly turned into the slide.  We slide to

the right and I quickly turned into the slide.  Without realizing it I was oversteering the

car.  The car slide over on the wrong side of the road.  I kept turning and we were all over

the road.  Panicking, my brother yelled, “Oh Sis, oh Sis!”

     “Oh Jesus help us,” I prayed.

     A calmness came over me.  It felt like someone took over the steering wheel turning to

the right.  The car drove into a little driveway leading to the cow pasture.  We stopped

and we were quiet for a moment.  “Are you okay,” I asked my brother?

     “Yes,” he replied.

     “Thank the Lord!  I can tell you right now that I AINT trying this again by myself,” I

told Buddy.  “I will walk to Joe’s to call Dad.”

     Reflecting back over this huge event, I realize that Jesus answered my prayer on that

huge hill.  He protected my brother and I from the danger of an oncoming vehicle or

rolling over in the ditch.  Jesus protected oncoming individuals in other vehicles as well. 

     The Bible says in Psalm 46:1 that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in

trouble.”

     As I write these words, I realize Jesus did more than protect us.  Our car was in a little

drive with ditches on both sides.  It was slim odds that our car did not end up in a ditch or

hit by an oncoming vehicle.  Jesus is truly a miracle worker.