surely you can't be serious

Yes. I am.... and don't call me Shirley.

Let me relate the following TRUE story:

Saturday, I went to work for 6 hours. I was tired and needed a break.

Travis took me out to dinner and then we planned to go see a movie up in American fork so I could be closer to my parents house after the movie and then I'd go up there. I begged Trav to just drive me up there and drop me off because I was sick of driving. I even convinced him to stay the night with me at my parents house.

(This is important, so remember that I was NOT alone. Super important to the story.)

We started driving on the freeway and I heard this louuuud noise. I asked Travis what it was, and he said that it was a semi, probably using their engine brakes. He said it's loud, just like that. But we passed the semi and the noise didn't go away. It only got louder.

I look at Trav and I said... it seems to be our car.. maybe we have...

and at the same time we said, "a flat tire."

Just then it got worse and it was very hard to control the car. We pulled over, but of course it was a construction zone, so we tried to not knock over any of the huge orange cones.

We looked at the tire. It was on the brink of a major blow out. It was BAD.

I immediately started laughing. Travis thought something was wrong, and I said, "No, I'm just laughing. I mean this HAS to be a joke."

We turned on the flashers and Travis changed the tire. I was scared as the cars whizzed by WAY too fast (it seemed) for a construction zone, and Travis worked really fast.

We got back in the car and the engine wouldn't start. The dang battery was dead. We had left the flashers on, and one of the car doors was open.

I kept telling myself that I wasn't gonna cry. I tried calling my dad, even though I know he probably wouldn't be able to do much, since he couldn't leave my mom home alone.

Then I called upon my other father. My Heavenly Father. We said a prayer. I told Travis that I believed in miracles. I was expecting God to magically make the battery have power and that the car would turn on and we could go on our way.

That didn't happen. I learned that you can't tell God what to do.

Travis and I sat in the hot stuffy car, trying to be positive. I was like, "let's play a game and say what we're grateful for."

We each said one thing, and couldn't think of anything else. (The game was very short lived).

I called my dad again.

No answer.

In a fit of frustration, I said, "None of my fathers are answering me! My earthly father and my Heavenly Father are ignoring me!"

Travis decided to get out and check the engine to make sure nothing else was wrong. I was alone in the car.

I kept telling myself to not cry.

Then a tear came out.

Then more and more.

By this time I was blubbering like a little idiot, crying my eyes out.

I said out loud, "Heavenly Father, I can't do this anymore. I am tired. I'm exhausted. I know I'm being put through the ringer but I am at the end of my rope. I can't do this alone, and I feel so frustrated. I apologize for the informality of how I am addressing you, but I am so tired. PLEASE HELP."

Not seconds later I opened my eyes to a bunch of flashing lights. I looked up and the first thing I saw was a big truck that had a sign on the back reading, "Courtesy Vehicle."

A man jumped out and asked what we needed.

He gave us a jump and we were on our way in less than a minute.

I started crying harder, knowing that Heavenly Father was listening t me and taking care of us.

It truly was a miracle, and my prayer WAS answered, just differently than I had expected and hoped.

God moves in mysterious ways, doesn't He?

This increased my faith and appreciation for prayer and my gratefulness for God and Jesus.

Travis got back in the car and said, "So, do you wanna take back what you said?"

Immediately, I said, "Yes, I feel so bad."

Then I said a prayer of thanks.

This marks the end of my story.

I am so grateful that I was NOT alone when this happened. I had almost told Travis not to worry and that I would just go up to my parents alone, and not to see the movie. I was really tired anyway.

Travis, being the lovely guy he is, wanted to spend time with me, no matter what we were doing. So he drove with me. If I had been alone, this would have been a much worse experience.

It wasn't the most pleasant experience anyway, but we got through it. I was just being bitter considering everything that I had been through lately. I thought things couldn't possibly get worse, when they did.

Luckily we had a full set of tires on our garage anyway. We changed the tires and when Travis took off the other tire (the back left tire had blown out) and when Trav took off the other back tire (right) that TOO was on the brink of blowing out. Maybe a few more miles and that would have been another gonner.

We really have to count our blessings, even during this time of trial.

If you made it all the way to the end, thanks for reading!!