God Saved My Life - By Killing My Car?

My son, Ben, and I are train nuts. he works at a railroad transloading facility in North Dakota and comes down to visit me here in the railroad Meca of Colorado where we go see trains. This year he came down to see the autumn colors, and the trains. 

We spent Saturday just west of Denver photographing the leaves and dining in one of the finest BBQ joints on earth. After a meal that couldn't be beat we headed up to Silverplume CO to ride the Georgetown Loop Railroad behind the fabled steam locomotive West Side Lumber #9. When we got to the Silverplume Depot we saw a chilling sight - West Side Lumber #9 being dragged into the depot dead in tow. As it passed us we could see that several broken pieces of pistons were piled up in the cab. West Side Lumber #9 had suffered a catastrophic failure and we ended up riding behind a small diesel locomotive engine. It was still a fun way to spend a warm autumn afternoon, but not the same as taming a fire breathing steam locomotive. Little did I know this was to be a harbinger of things to come. 

The entire time we were up in the mountains I was having slight medical issues. I have been blessed by the lord with respiratory issues and while up in the mountains I was having problems keeping my oxygen regulated properly.

The next day, after church, we headed back up, this time we were headed for Aspen CO by way of some of the most beautiful places on earth - Loveland Pass and Independence Pass. However we had just barely reached 7,000' on I-70 when the engine gave out on my car. 17,000 miles, not even a year old, and the engine ground to a halt and died. Needless to say I wasn't happy, but it's still under warranty and the maintenance has been kept up to date, I'm covered. Ben and I were able to spend some time together as we listened to the radio play by play of the Buffalo Bills playing Miami. 

However while sitting there waiting for the tow truck to arrive my heart rate shot up and my oxygen levels plummeted. I was able to keep my oxygen up to safe levels but my heart rate was racing the whole time. I was very close to dialing 911 when the tow truck arrived and took us down to Denver. Down in the lower elevations my heart rate returned to normal and my oxygen level 

The next morning I woke up extremely light headed, which is something that has been happening to me for nearly a month now but this time was bad, I couldn't stand up. I went to the ER and got a long, noisy MRI and blood workup and the doc didn't find anything right off, no brain issues, no blood issues, no blood pressure issues. I've got some more doctor appointments over this. 

But I got to thinking - how bad would this have been at 9,800 feet in Aspen where we had planned to spend the night? How bad would my heart rate and oxygen levels have gotten going over Loveland Pass and Independence Pass, both at 12,000 feet?  I could have done irreparable damage to my heart exposing myself to those altitudes for so long. How dangerous could this light headed condition have gotten? There's some dangerous roads on Independence Pass, a dizzy spell could have been very, very fatal.

Maybe God killed my car to keep me from the upper altitudes where something bad could have happened. No, he didn't reach down and zap it while we were driving, but I have a feeling that He arranged things to happen this way. God nudges things into the alignment He wants.

It was a bit of a disappointment not to see the fall colors, by the time I get a working car and can get medically checked out the leaves will be gone and the snow will be flying. However we still got to spend some time together, we did get to see some of the leaves and we got to listen to our favorite team beat Miami on the radio. I don't question what happened, God knows what we want and what we need, and He's loving enough to give us what we need rather than what we want.

18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope for His lovingkindness, 19 To deliver their soul from death And to keep them alive in famine. (Psalm 33:18-19)

2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4)