I don't know what happened to me. When I was younger and living in WV, ice and snow didn't worry me one bit. After moving to DC things changed. All-of-a-sudden I forgot how to drive in the snow and on the curvy country roads I grew up on.
As we were packing up my UHaul, I didn't worry about the fact that my apartment building didn't schedule my moveout and therefore I found myself surrounded by snotty DC college kids wanting the loading dock. No sir. That didn't bother me one bit. I worried about the snowy drive to WV.
Leaving DC, the roads weren't too bad. I don't know what the people of MD make their blacktop out of, but it always looks icy and slick to me. The salt on the roads leave shiny white streaks everywhere, and all I can think as I am driving is that they are ice patches and I am going to hit one of them and lose control.
My dad drove the UHaul. My mom drove her Jeep. I drove mine. We had a nice little caravan goin'. Normally I drive pretty fast, but in the winter I drive super slow. As the McNemar caravan winds up the mountains, I become more and more focused on what I think is ice on the roads. The temperature gauge in my Jeep climbs down into the lower 30's and I start to panic. My hands grip the steering wheel so hard that my fingers turn white. The speed limit is 65, but I am going 50. My mom calls me on my cell phone and asks me where I am.
Mom: "Hey Kate, everything okay?"
Me: "Um, yeah."
Mom: "Where are you? We can't see you?"
Me: "I'm, um, I'm right behind you all. Don't worry, you all just go ahead and I'll catch up later."
Mom: "Well, honey, what's wrong!? You need to keep up with us so we can travel together."
Me: "I'm trying to keep up with you, but you're drivin' like you're in the Daytona 500. Are your feet made of bricks!!? You're takin' the turns like your in the General Lee! I'm just tryin' to stay on the freakin' road back here. Me and this guy from Georgia feel more comfortable at 50mph."
Mom: (long pause) "Honey. Why do you think you're going to go off the road?"
Me: "Look, I know you think I'm crazy, but I feel like I am going to hit an ice patch, flip my car, hit the side of a mountain, and die in burning fiery explosion like you see in movies starring Jason Statham. Pretty simple."
Mom: "Who's Jason Latham, Lanham, Stanton...!? Nevermind...doesn't matter. Kate, I know that you think the shiny white patches on the road are ice, but they aren't, honey, I promise."
Me: "Why are you leading the caravan if you don't even know who Jason STAtham is? Oh my gosh, we're all gonna die"
Mom: "Honey, please calm down. Seriously, I know you feel out of control, but you are going to just have to trust dad and I right now. Okay. There isn't any ice on these roads. You have your car in all-wheel drive. You are driving a Jeep. You are going to make it, okay. Listen to me. I need you to drive faster and keep up with us because once we get to the other side of this mountain there may be snow. I want to get through here before the snow hits. The only way we are going to be able to do that is if you trust us and put the pedal to the medal. We aren't going to go ahead of you, so you better just get movin'. K!!?"
Me: "K. I'll try. But if I crash, and survive the 500 foot fall off the side of a mountain. I'm comin' for you. So you better just save up to buy me a new face, okay."
Mom: "Okay, honey. We'll buy you a new face if you crash. Are you ready to do this!?"
So I did it. Reluctantly I drove faster and kept up with my parents. As we were coming down the mountains into Morgantown, WV, as few snow flakes started to fall. That's when I knew that we had missed the snow. As we got closer to Buckhannon the temperature gauge climbed all the way to 40 degrees. Snow started melting off my Jeep and all was well with the world.
I really thought that the roads were covered with ice. I couldn't convince myself otherwise. My fear caused me to become tense and slow down for no reason. That is why the Bible tells us to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor 5:7). We can't always trust our feelings or what we see. We have to have faith that God will not let us fall. God has a purpose for me, or else I wouldn't be here. He can take me any time He sees fit, but I have no control over when that is. I need to be cautious and seek His guidance, but I don't need to fear things that aren't real. Our enemy seeks to steal, kill, and destroy our lives. His greatest victory is when we live our lives in fear and turn our hearts from Jesus. When we let fear slow us down....he wins.
Let's put the pedal to the metal. Let's live our lives free of fear! In my life right now....all I see are shiny white patches like look like ice....but that is only a false alarm.
Love,
Katie
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