Three People, Two Tires, and One God (Part 2 of 2)

As we rode our chair lift into the foggy sky, we couldn't help but reflect on the magnitude of the trip. While contemplating the series of events that took place on the way to Mammoth, the sun broke through the clouds and the snow began to give off a radiant glow. Cameron could not stop smiling which was ridiculously contagious and the talk of dive bombing huge runs began. The trees were perfectly set in the snowy landscape like candles on white frosting cake. Click, click, click, was the sound of the end of the gondola ride and the beginning of our magic carpet ride.

We were stoked, whooping and hollering with excitement all the way to the back of the lift line which was extremely long. We felt as if we were now at Disneyland because the lines seemed endless. Yet before long, we found our feet swaying from the lift chair and we were met by a cool breeze while en route to the top of our first run. I reiterated to Cameron the dangers of different situations and we set up a meeting spot in case we got separated while boarding. While gazing off at the scenery before us, my biggest worry was one of us falling into a tree well. 15ft of snow does not bode well for someone who falls in one as it can become a snowy grave where they find you after the snow melts in the spring. Holding onto that thought, I told Cameron that we shouldn't cease to pray, especially not now when we're entering terrain that we're unfamiliar with. So there we were, dangling 20ft in the air from a chair praying for God's presence as we enjoyed His creation. We heard another familiar series of clicks and we knew it was time to shred.

I don't remember what happened first, my jaw dropping at the awe of the scenery or tripping on my snowboard while trying to catch my balance coming off the chair. Either way I fell on my ass in disbelief of how amazing it was to be where we were. The mountains surrounding us stood watch over the little valley and plateau towns that looked like tiny anthills from our vantage point. The snow was taller, deeper, and more white than that of the town and covered everything in sight. Trees looked as if they were bowing to the mountains due to the weight that suppressed their branches from the snow. Kids of all ages smiled and laughed everywhere as they knew this might be the best snow they will ever have the chance to ride. Even people of the older generations stared around in awe and looked like kids as they played in the winter wonderland. Cameron and I looked at each other and without saying a word knew we were that much closer to God and His glory.

The words "lets shred" signified that it was time and without another moment we were gaining speed heading down a run ironically named "Lost In The Woods". Cameron and I both were slow to start but quickly found rhythm as we made our way around the mountain. More than once I'd try to shred a powder stash and found myself board over head upside down in waist deep snow. Cameron was not immune to the vigilance of the snow as he found himself tumbling down a steep run after digging the end of his board into a ski mogul(these things really suck for snowboarders). After a few canyon rides and digging my way out of neck deep powder, we found ourselves exhausted and full of our share of powder. We didn't tame the snow, the snow tamed us, and so it was time to call it a day.

The gondola ride back down the mountain seemed much quicker than the ride up, probably thanks to the powder filled conversations about a day in winter paradise. Soon it would be time to conquer the ride in the car down to the town of Bishop. As we rode the shuttle back, I nervously watched the snow falling from the expected third round of storms to come. After all, not having chains on a front wheel drive lightweight car like the Mazda 2 was not exactly the safest nor the smartest move. Yet I reminded myself once again that God would take care of us no matter what. We reached the car and saw that the passenger side window was wide open and both of us ran to see the damage. Luckily, the snow that fell inside of the car was powder and not wet. It was even more of a blessing to find the car untouched and none of the cameras and stuff in the car was missing. With that came another prayer of thanks.

Once on the road, we knew that the only appropriate thing to do was, remain silent and allow our minds to reflect on the entire trip. Yet after watching the traction control light blink a few times, I proceeded to throw on some chill music to help my concentration on the road before me. Cameron asked what the blinking of the light meant and I was quick to respond, it's your oh shit light. Elaborating, I simply said that it meant to pray because we were slipping and sliding. We laughed and watched intensely as we slipped and slid in a controlled state down the grade.

The ride from Bishop to Victorville was much easier than previously with the lack of rain and traffic to ease our minds. However, once we reached Victorville, things got really ugly really fast. Standing water was no longer just an issue but a huge hazard as unprepared drivers making haste for early holiday trips tore down the 395 as if Wal-Mart was giving away free TV's. More than once, I saw the panic of another driver almost result in a head on collision. You can always tell if a driver has control of their car as they pass you by, simply by looking at their eyes and face. A panicked driver is easy to spot as they look like they just got of the Gravitron ride at the county fair(if you haven't been on one, it's awesome but definitely not for older or pregnant people). Once we reached the 15 heading south, we knew we were going head on with the third storm of the infamous Pineapple Express. The rain poured so hard it didn't even have time to make a splatter sound but instead roared fiercely as if telling us we didn't belong on the road. Maybe we should have listened.

As we continued to ride, I hoped to ease the increasing pain in my shoulders and neck from the tension build up by playing various soothing music. Somewhere just past Temecula, the rain began to pour so hard it was only possible to see by following the brake lights of the person in front and Enya's angelic voice would no longer help me. All I could pray was that, hopefully that person knew where the road was otherwise I'd be following them into the afterlife. The last canyon before La Jolla proved to be the most hair raising of the trip. While heading down into the canyon, it was natural that the car wanted to pick up speed. For some reason unbeknown to me, I maintained a position in the fast lane on the left even though I was much slower than those passing by. All the sudden, the car jerked hard to the left as water drenched the windshield blinding me from only seeing the reflector that indicated my car was careening into a barrier wall. My reaction? To let go of the steering wheel. I will never know why but what happened next blew my mind as the car was pushed by a "wind" back onto the road. What felt like a lifetime happened in mere milliseconds. My firm cough directly after caused by holding my breath was a sign that I was not dreaming and very much alive. I immediately asked Cameron if he felt that push and upon shaking his head yes, we broke down again for yet another prayer. We were alive and that was more than enough reason to pray for what seemed like the millionth time.

The rest of the ride home seemed like a breeze despite the constant downpour. Since we had enough close calls with death, we started talking about what heaven was going to be like. It's always an interesting topic since very little is actually written about it in the Bible. While discussing the ways the movies portray heaven, we were reminded that the movies were missing the most important part, the full glory of God which could never be revealed in fullness to men living in this lifetime. While deep in conversation we felt the car sputter, the engine die, and Cameron noted that we were out of gas. We couldn't believe it, being out of gas two miles from our exit in a torrential downpour at 30 minutes past midnight. We began the roll call and tried calling all of our friends that would help yet none could. As we contemplated the walk home, I prayed for help. Within a minute, a four door Jeep wrangler pulled up next to us and the young guy inside asked if we could use a lift. Ironically, the young guy, Kevin, lived in the same neighborhood as I did. While riding to the house I realized that irony is only a word used by mere mortals who don't realize that sovereignty trumps irony. Kevin was no irony, we were set in time and a place for a reason, a reason to meet Kevin, maybe just a ride home, maybe more.

After Cameron and I got the gas necessary, we made our way to the car. We filled the tank with every last drop from the little one gallon tin in hopes it would be enough. We were really frustrated to find out it wasn't. I tried the ignition and tried again but simply could not get the car started. Cameron pushed the car facing down hill and it still would not start. On the verge of tears, I prayed once again for some kind of miracle to happen. It should not have come at any surprise that the car started and got to the gas station to fill up no problem directly after that. I needed to let it sink in but the pain felt from all the stress externally and internally began to takes it's toll. Thank God I finally made it home and was able to kiss my wifes forehead before I felt the shutdown. I was collapsing and the only one catching me was God.

Afterthoughts:

God is without a doubt always there even though through the midst of our struggles it can seem like we are alone. God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him therefor one can assume that being a lottery winner would make it more difficult to be more satisfied in God. Instead, it's times like the story "Three People, Two Tires, and One God" that make us reflect on our lives and where we look for help, love, and satisfaction. The reason for the title is simple, the three people(Steve, Pam, and Kevin) and the two tires ended up causing Cameron and I to praise God for His mercy and love for us. Had the trip gone perfectly, we more than likely would have talked about how great we were snowboarding and how amazing of a time we had. No where in any conversation would God have had the glory but instead would have sat on the back burner as He does in most of our lives. The real reason for Thanksgiving and Christmas is often overlooked and completely missed by a world so stuck in themselves that they cannot see nor witness the glory of God being revealed to them in everyday life. We are to be constantly thankful for our love ones not because they are great but because the God that gave us them is great. God is love, just look at what Jesus Christ did and you will see that He loves you. God bless and thanks for reading.