Unbelievably Blessed

I didn't forget to write about this in my weekend recap, I just thought something of this measure deserved a post all to it's self. My family has always been pretty close and very supportive of each other in all of our activities. It was just always understood that if you could reasonably make it someones game, recital, race, or whatever that we would always be there to support each other. Well promenade is a pretty big deal in Moab an so in an effort to support my brother I went down for the weekend. Valerie also wanted to be there for Spencer and so she planned to leave Cedar City and drive to Moab Friday night after she got off work. Mom, Nichole, Joshua, and I were in the middle of planning Spencer's prom day activity when Valerie called to tell us that she was just leaving Cedar about 8:45 pm. A few minutes later she called to ask what the road conditions were because it was snowing a little just 20 minutes into her 4 hour trip. Mom hung up with her and then called road conditions. The forecast? Snowy, Snow packed, and icy. We called Valerie back to give her the report and as soon as we started to say snowy and slick, the conversation was interrupted. What we heard on speaker phone on the other end of the line sitting at the kitchen table in Moab went something like this:

A lot of static and scratching

Then a very panic-ed, "Mom"

more static and scratching

a very frightened, and tearful, "MOM! Mom! I'm okay. I just wrecked. I'm okay, but... I'm upside down."

Before I go any further, let me just say that Valerie is perfectly okay. She walked away without a scratch! Back in Moab however, that was the most utterly helpless feeling I have ever felt in my life. As soon as she said "I'm upside down," I immediately thought the worse and felt completely dis-empowered to do anything. Within moments (although it felt like much longer) someone had arrived at the accident and helped her out of the car. The police and EMS arrived within 5 minutes and checked her out and confirmed that she was okay, no back or neck injuries. Over the next couple of hours we were on and off the phone with her and also trying to get in touch with some of her friends and her bishop in Cedar City to be with her when she got back to her apartment.

I guess that it was snowing pretty bad where she was driving, just north of Parowan. She was switching lanes and got caught in the slush in the middle and somehow, started sliding, spinning, and ultimately landed upside down, and facing south in the median.

Now a few days later, I keep thinking about that night and I realize how incredibly lucky my family is. And how much worse it could have turned out. The more I learn about the exact location of the accident, the terrain, and hear statistics about car crashes on the interstate I realize that we were playing against the odds. As soon as I heard Valerie say she had wrecked the only thing that I could think to do was to pray in my heart. I think my mind was so blank and so confused about what was happening, that I couldn't actually say a composed prayer. All I could think was "Heavenly Father, please be with her." It is unbelievable to me that we were on the phone with her the entire time, and even while spinning Valerie never dropped the phone and the connection was never broken. Maybe it was so that someone was with her. There was immediately a familiar voice other end of the line for her to hear. I don't think she ever got the names of the people that stopped to help her before the police arrived but they were undoubtedly those angels that dwell among us showing up at the right place at the right time.

In any event, I am grateful for the tender mercies of my Heavenly Father who extended a hand of protection over my sister. I am also thankful for the knowledge I have about eternal families. That our family unit will extend beyond this life and into eternity.