Car troubles

My daughter Alexia, a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and 2nd Lt. in the greatest Air Force in the world, found some unlikely heroes (or as I like to call them, guardian angels) when she ran into unexpected car troubles in a small town in Texas. This is her story.

Three and a half hours. The total amount of time it takes to get from Goodfellow Air Force Base to Sheppard Air Force Base is about three and a half hours. I’d made the trek before – 4 other times to be exact – and so when I turned on my audio book and cruise control, I put my mind on auto pilot. About 45 mins away from my final destination, I started hearing an unusual noise….it was almost like a high pitched thudding, if you can imagine that sound. Over the course of about 5 minutes, the noise became louder and more persistent.

First, I turned off my audio book (Team of Teams by Gen McCrystal). I was thinking that maybe the noise was coming from outside; it was a windy day. When that didn’t make a difference, I turned off my Bluetooth radio altogether. I turned off the heater next. Then finally the cruise control. That seemed to do the trick; however, when I pushed my foot gently on the accelerator, the noise came back! Louder than before, I might add, along with some resistance from the pedal. Suddenly, every light on my dash board flashed. In an instant my power steering stopped working and my car started to slow down. I was right at the intersection of the interstate and a random county road on the outskirts of Seymour, TX. My tiny biceps were barely able to turn the steering wheel to the right as I slowly eased the car off the road.

As soon as my car stopped moving, I noticed the clouds of smoke billowing from under the hood of my 2002 Toyota 4Runner. Quickly I grabbed my luggage and snacks from the car and hurriedly walked away. In all honesty, I thought the entire thing was going to blow! I called USAA for a towing service and texted my boyfriend, Andrew who was less than an hour away at Shepherd AFB. He said he’d be there right away, but the tow truck was going to take a while.

I looked around. I was in the middle of no where Texas, but not too far away was a convenience store on the side of the road that had a front porch with a bench and lights. I walked over and decided to sit down there. It was a good vantage point to see if anything or anyone tried to approach me. An excruciatingly long 15 minutes passed and the first sign of life was a big white truck that pulled up right in front of me. I quickly stood up, and started dialing Andrew. No one emerged from the vehicle right away, and I was worried about who might be inside. My heart was pounding in my chest, but I tried to appear calm. After a few more awkward seconds, the passenger door swung open and I could see an older couple looking back at me with just as much confusion as I’m sure was registered on my face. “Can we help you, sweetie? What’s going on?” As it turns out, these two were the owners of the random convenience store where I had found refuge under the porch lights. It turned out that even though the store was closed, they decided to come by to drop off some cans of paint. I explained my situation to them and they immediately offered me food, water, and a bathroom break. I took them up on that last offer, and in the refuge of the bathroom when I looked in the mirror my eyes started filling with tears. I was filled with dread but also gratitude. What are the chances that the owners would stop by while I was alone? They were so kind, and even offered to have me stay at their house until Andrew arrived. I told them I’d feel more comfortable waiting for him at the store right where they found me, and with much reluctance they were on their way.

I was overwhelmed with the gravity of my situation and couldn’t help but think about all of the other possible ways that scenario could’ve played out. I was a young, African American female alone in an unfamiliar place. After about 20 minutes, the same truck was back. Out popped the husband saying, “I know this may seem creepy to you, but would you please let me wait with you? I have daughters who look about your age and I can’t just let you wait out here all by yourself. Would it be okay if we waited inside the shop together until your ride arrives?” All I could do was smile and nod.

After several minutes Andrew arrived. It wasn’t until I sat in Andrew’s car – it wasn’t until I knew I was safe - that I completely broke down. I cried and I cried. I couldn’t deny the fact that the God of the universe was watching over and protecting me. Someone who was less than worthy. Someone who hasn’t been to church in weeks. Someone who gossips about the people around her. Someone who doubts her future simply because she doesn’t know everything. But here's the thing. God never stops loving us, no matter how unworthy we feel. As His children, we can rest in His protection. He is with us, even in the scariest places. And for that, I am forever grateful.