PRAYING AHEAD

                                                       PRAYING AHEAD
                                                                               T. Wieland Allen
   A lesson well learned is worth passing on to other people in order for them to also glean an excellent result from their actions.  A Christmas trip to California was the necessary occasion for the happenings which could have been catastrophic time-wise as far as the result but instead turned out to work in my favor.
   My son De had planned to take to catch a commercial airplane in another town 50 miles away in order for me to ge to Sunny California for the holidays.  He is always punctual and I was ready two hours and 15 minutes before the flight for him to load my two large pieces of luggage into my SUV and then we would drive the aforementioned SUV to the airport.  We were well on our way in order to get me to the airport an hour and a half early in order to safely maneuver through security and get me to the gate where my flight was to depart.  A problem had presented itself that morning in that fog was very dense and it was difficult to see beyond a few lengths of cars.
    A few days prior to our leaving for the airport I had checked on my flight schedule and notice that an early bird check-in was available for extra charge of $15 per flight.  Since I had purchased my ticket for a little over a mere five dollars because I had so many Rapid Rewards points, I decided on a "whim" to go ahead and give the extra money to the airline since their Rapid Rewards credit card which I had purchased had resulted in my taking flights to California almost free for several times a year.  Yes, I felt like I owed it to the airlines for allowing me to use my credit card for only a fee of $69 a year and I received four to six flights for five dollars per flight.
   I always thank my markdown angel who goes ahead of me and marks down everything I buy.  The Rapid Rewards purchases go above and beyond the reason for which I got the credit card.  In return, of course I did not have to wait and check in 24 hours before my flight in order to get a good number for standing in line for the flight.  I would get an A number and be able to be at the front of the line at boarding time.  Little did I know that that decision would be pertinent to my making it to the flight on time.
    The day of the flight my son De and I were on our way with plenty of time for me to check in, get through security and line up for the flight, even driving in the dense fog which had formed very early in the morning.  However, as we left the state highway and my son De drove my SUV onto the turnpike which takes us very close to the airport, De commented that the engine light on the car had come on.  That had never happened.  The power in my car slowed down but then De could get it up to 60 mph for a short time.  As I said, this had never happened to me before.  In fact, the car had never had any corrective maintenance in the 13 years I had owned it.  We were on a turnpike with no place to turn around and go back to my house and exchange my SUV for De's pickup, so we decided to make it to the toll booth slowly since there was no real speed to the car, exit there and drive on the other side of the turnpike back to my house and hurriedly exchange cars.  The SUV did not cooperate with our plans because a couple of miles on the return trip to my house the car lost all power and refused to start again.  The engine light continued to proudly display on the dash.
    That new situation left us with quite a dilemma, that being what to do since I had the purchased tickets to two towns in California and I had to notify the airlines within a certain time or I would lose the price of the tickets.  There we sat, on the turnpike shoulder going in the direction of my town, not in the direction of the airport.  I had, neglectfully, left AAA card in my wallet at home and the towing number for the Lincoln company didn't answer since it was Sunday.  I started to call the airlines and cancel my flights but De insisted that he was going to get me to the airport in time although we were sitting in an inoperable car on the shoulder of a turnpike and time was flying by.  We surmised that if we had been able to call AAA that it would probably take an hour for the tow truck to get there and I would never make it to catch the flight because if we went all the way back to my house by then, since some time had passed, it would be too late.
   After discussing the matter a few minutes, I suddenly told De that we should call his wife because she might have a suggestion.  He agreed, to which he called her and told her about our dilemma.  She said that she would call a local tow truck, send it on the way and that her adult son Drew would drive their second pickup to our location on the turnpike, give us their pickup, and Drew would wait for the tow truck while my son De took me in their pickup to the airport.  It was a workable plan but Drew had to drive from their house to where we were, which was 40 minutes from their house.
   While waiting in the inoperable SUV for Drew in their pickup, a patrolman stopped to see if we were okay.  We told him about our situation and I jokingly asked him if he wanted to take me to the airport.  He laughed and said it was not legal for him to do that kind act.
   Finally our rescuer Drew arrived in the alternate vehicle.  The only problem was that we were a good 30 minutes from the airport and 30 minutes from our town.  When Drew arrived he was amenable to waiting for the tow truck while my son took me to the airport in their pickup.  We threw my luggage into the back of their pickup, jumped into the pickup after giving to Drew a credit card to use for the two truck and the keys to my SUV.  We were on our way, but in the wrong direction.
   De put the pedal to the medal and at least we were in an operable vehicle even though we were headed in the wrong direction.  De was determined that he would get me to the airport on time, so he decided to use the emergency exit used only by the highway patrol and ambulances in order to get onto the other side of the turnpike.  He pulled over onto the shoulder of the turnpike, allowed all cars to pass us, watched for a clear path in the opposite lane of the turnpike and drove his pickup so that it passed safely through the emergency exit with caution.  After all, this was an emergency, not what the highway patrolman would consider one but it was a emergency to us.
    While speedily driving to the airport De admitted to me that several times while driving to my house that morning the thought had come to him to take me to the airport in his pickup instead of taking my car.  It was too late for me to lecture him on listening to that inner voice of God because the fog had not lifted so I wanted to avoid any conflict which would interfere with his safe driving.  We could see the highway directly in front of us and we could see the lights of oncoming traffic but De still had to be very cautious.
    We arrived at the airline entrance 15 minutes before the plane was supposed to leave the terminal and I still had to get my boarding pass, check my large luggage filled with gifts and go through the long security line before running down the long lengthy hall to the gate, which is not easy for an 84 year old lady to run that distance speedily, although I am in great shape. 
   I quickly lifted my large heavy luggage onto the appropriate place and told the young man at the counter my name and my destination.  He told me that it was my "lucky" day, lucky in that I had gotten the early bird check-in but also lucky that the plane I was to board was delayed 25 minutes, just long enough for me to get to the gate.  He handed a paper boarding pass to me, even though I had it electronically on my phone.  Having observed in the past that sometimes the electronic boarding passes are hard to register at the gate, I took the boarding pass and ran to the escalator which took me to the crowded security area.  The line was long, but at least the plane was going to be a late in taking off, so it finally looked like I was going to make it.  De had dropped me off at the airline entrance while he parked the car because he didn't want to leave me there in case I hadn't make the flight.  As I started the run down the long hall to the gate, I heard him calling my name, "Mom," and saw him outside of the security entrance waving at me.  Every other mom in the airport was looking around to see if some offspring was calling her. 
   When I arrived breathless at the scheduled gate, the other passengers were lined up at the proper place and I slipped into my spot in line with the A31 numbered boarding pass for which I had paid for have early bird check-in four days earlier on a "whim", not knowing that it would be pertinent to my being able to leave on the flight. Also, I thanked God that, for the first time in the many, many years of flying that same flight that it had never been delayed except for the one time that I needed the extra time. 
   I made it but it took divine intervention to get me there and a son who was determined.
   I had been a stressful situation but while waiting on De to pick me up that morning these words popped into my thoughts, "Don't fret.  Don't worry.  Have faith and take your hands off of the situation."   When those words came to me that morning I had no idea that there would be a stressful situation that day, but there was, and those words kept going through my mind like a ticker tape, cuing me not to fret, not to worry, to have faith and to take my hands off of it.  What else could I do anyway?  I couldn't sprout wings and fly to the airport so I had to take my hands off and trust God.
     Our Heavenly Father came through, as always.  Now He gets the credit every time I tell the story.  After all,, He wanted me to manage to take the trip to be with other loving family members to celebrate His Son's birthday.  I felt like I had an engraved invitation.  My own son had participated in the solution and his determination kept me calm and steady, even sitting on the turnpike. 
    The entire scenario reminded me of a scripture that says to pray for one another so that you will be healed.  I belong to a Prayer Posse in which we pray intercessory prayers for other people.  Lo and behold, God performed a miracle for me according to His Love. 
   He is truly the Best Dad!