Not yet, not today

My life has been peppered with instances of nearly dying or being put into some serious possible harm. I don't know why I am so accident prone. I don't know why I have had to be rescued time and time again. Perhaps I have yet another thing or two more to do for the Lord, I always settle on, when it comes down to the why. I suppose we ALL have something more to do every day if we survive another night of sleep and have been permitted yet another new day to perform our labors.

There was once such experience which nearly befell me while I was a driver as my way to support my family and earn a living.

During my tenure as an Uber/Lyft driver driving in the Vancouver, Washington market, I recall the moment where I was driving down a familiar road. I was en route to pick up heading north on 164th Ave between Mill Plain and 18th and at a comfortable speed. I don't recall what speed I was driving but I was hustling to pick up the next passenger which lay about another mile North East of my location. Taking 164th Avenue seemed to be the most convenient route to get there, I should mention.

I remember moving along checking the GPS for an ETA when I had looked up to see there was a red light signal glowing the brightest of reds and it was staring me down. I could almost hear a pulsating "Halt" sound whispering to my mind and I had moments to decide what to do about it. I saw a car approaching on the right set to cross in front of me. I had moments to decide. My mind was thinking speed up to avoid a collision but another voice entered into my head that I should apply the break instead. Then everything began to slow down in my mind. Had I come to a complete stop, it would have been after the intersection about 50 feet at the rate I was stopping. All I could see was the other sedan moving slowly across my path. I did not see his eyes and neither did any of us honk. My car continued to move forward and even after I had been applying the breaks, I did not seek cause to actually stop but I kept moving forward. It felt as though I had been given an additional 2 seconds to slow down for some reason. Had I hit the gas, I might have caught the drivers-side corner bumper and then there would have been a very serious problem to encounter after then which was 1) How could I continue driving to support my family and 2) what if I had a serious injury to accompany 1?

I did not feel a hand over my chest holding me back but I felt as though my car was suspended and slowed up significantly and for the split second or two that our cars passed by one another harmlessly onto our destinations, neither one of us felt the need to stop and process what had happened by getting out of the car to catch our breath. I don't know what the other driver was doing but I was heavily panting and sweating by the time I had gotten to the next signal light.

I went to pick up my clients and thought nothing more. I certainly didn't want to divulge what had nearly happened either to the 2 passengers I had recently picked up just following this incident for at least the reason of instilling some confidence in them that they too wouldn't be getting into an accident with me that night but probably more so I would have had a difficult time attempting to explain the loss of about 2 seconds and how my car avoided danger. This was not my time to crash or die and it certainly wasn't the next lesson that God wanted me to learn. I had to support the family and it would have been catastrophic, to me, to ALL OF US, had I gotten into that accident.

What happened to me and why did I get those 2 more seconds? Why was I spared an accident there and not the accident which also could have snuffed out my life a few years back in April, 2009, now more than 10 years ago?

All I know is that through some special design or because of some divine providence, I am still around today to do something. I imagine myself being an instrument in the hands of God to do things both great and small. I endeavor to become trustworthy enough to be utilized for good and to accomplish some of the more important missions that God may have yet for me to do. Is this why I am being preserved and prepared?

Whatever the answer and to whatever end, I can only hope that my days will continue to be a high number... perhaps I may be of service ongoing and I will be around to usher in the return of my redeemer or perhaps be sent to rescue some soul or be someones transportation. To do all things both great and small.