I have often questioned my faith, but this was not one of those times. I first saw the bumper sticker on a yellow jeep. I was on my way back to college after the 4th of July holiday. It had been threatening to rain the whole trip and was close to dark. I was hoping to beat both home.

The first spats of rain fell on my windshield and I leaned forward to inspect their validity. I convinced myself that they were flukes and of course this was when the sky opened up and threw buckets of rain at me. I fumbled for the wipers, increased the setting with no improvement to visibility. For a while I used the vivid yellow jeep in front of me as a pace car. However, I have always been a nervous driver and finally convinced myself that now was a good time to get gas.

I pulled up to the gas station and realized I was unprepared for the weather. No rain jacket and a broken umbrella that flopped on one side. While pumping my gas I noticed a sign on the pump “Pay inside.” Great. I grabbed my wallet and ran to the store, my umbrella flipping and flopping as I ran.

The rain was losing its force and I was happy that I could get back on the road. I reached for my door handle and noticed my keys lying neatly on my seat, doors safely locked. This was turning out to be a wonderful side trip. I didn’t even need gas. I could have made it back to my apartment and I vowed next time I would talk my chicken self out of sneaking off the road in a storm.

It took a while for the tow truck to arrive, so I made myself cozy in the office. I’m from the country where we talk easily to strangers. I bought a pack of peanut butter cups to cheer myself up.

As the tow truck driver handed me my keys back he explained, “You’re a lucky girl. There was just a huge wreck on the freeway.”

I pulled back onto the road, easing my way with the rest of the congested traffic. The scene was unreal; clothes spilled across the road, broken glass. Cars littered the side of the road, ambulances and firemen attended disaster after disaster.

And as I drove through the midst of the wreckage I couldn’t take my eyes off of one thing: an inspirational sticker plastered to the bumper of a mangled yellow jeep. Someone was watching over me.