Joey, Allie... This is for you. May these stories be like tiny feathers that will one day drift down out of nowhere, bringing back great memories and smiles. You have brought me true joy with your laughter and song. This is your roadmap back to your youth and my guide home when memories fade. What a blessing it has been! What a blessing it continues to be.
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Hope In The Woods
My daughter, Allison Hope, is now driving on her own and has a limited range that she may travel. Looking much like a tiny soccer mom in my white SUV, she drives to school, church, the gym and occasionally to local restaurants to dine with friends. She does an excellent job keeping me posted on her exact location at all times. She is keenly aware that modern technology permits me to see the location of her phone as she travels down the road, but I try not to be that insane of a mom and allow her the chance to keep me informed without big brother watching. I think that teaches a much more important lesson on responsibility. If she fails to call, I can always zoom in and find her munching on nachos at the third booth in Taco Bell.
Recently, she had gone out to eat with friends at a local eatery. They finished early and she called to ask if she could drive to her friend's home that was about a mile away. I agreed and off she went. The problem with this decision was that she did not know her friend wasn't home and her phone was about to die. Had she traveled to anyone else's home, those facts would not have mattered. Unfortunately, she drove to a house with a gated entry that allows one in, but doesn't let you out. The exit sensor had been broken for weeks and egress was dependent on someone in the house opening the gate to let you out.
Upon arrival, Allie realized that she was the only one at this house, tucked deep in a very dark wood. As she neared the gate to come home, she realized the seriousness of the situation at hand. She was trapped in the woods, alone, with a dead cell phone. She drove back to the house to look in the vehicles to see if there was a gate remote. None could be found. She knew the alarm code to enter the house, but knew there was no land line in this home. She had no way to call for help. After being trapped for over an hour, panic began to set in and she mapped out a plan to cross a field and make her way to the highway, placing her in a much more dangerous situation than she was in, currently. Luckily, the thought of coyotes in the woods caused her to abandon that plan and she began toying with the idea of climbing the gate. The woods were much too dark and thoughts of strangers lurking behind the trees kept her planted in her car. Her mind raced back to the open field behind the house, but the coyotes and strange shadows in the woods were much too real and, thankfully, kept her away from the highway.
An hour and a half into this situation, she prayed and told God that she could not sit there, alone in the woods, until midnight. With tears in her eyes, she looked down and saw the glowing apple light up on her cell phone as it mysteriously powered on. She had no charger. The phone had been dead for over an hour and she had not touched it. There was no backup battery and there is no other explanation than the fact that a child called out to God for help and He did. She immediately called me and I answered to find a frightened child crying for me to come and get her. My heart sank as I imagined the worst. As I raced for my car keys, I calmed her down and learned that she was safe. There was enough battery on her phone for me to keep her on the line until I could arrive and enter the code to allow the gate to open and free her from the other side.
She jumped out of her car, hugged me tight, and cried tears of relief. Lesson learned.... never, never travel without a charger, a back-up battery or a simple back-up plan. One should never have to run through the woods for help. Red Riding Hood knew this well and my daughter was wise enough to stay clear of the dangers that lurked at the edge of her path. She waited for help and placed her trust in the Lord who delivered her safely back into my arms. Thank you God.
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1 comment:
Great story! Drama, humor, faith, love.
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