On January 14th we faced a very scary moment in our lives when we wasn’t sure if we were gonna make it or not or if we would lose one another. It had been snowing for a good hour and the temp was at 10 degrees and dropping. I was thinking to myself, “We should be home in about 30 minutes or so.” Little did I know that it would be well over 6 hours later. We thought we were gonna make it up a hill but lost traction and began to slide. Dustin thought he would guide it down and back into a drive way at the bottom and turn around and go another way. Our vehicle caught too much speed and began to slide sideways and head for a ditch. I remember looking out my window thinking, “Okay, we’re gonna hit the ditch, come to a jerk stop, and be stuck, but we’ll be alright.” Not realizing that the ditch was about a two foot drop, our car hit it and started to roll. We rolled twice and came to an abrupt stop landing sideways on the passenger side door.

During the rolling all I could think about was Kelton in the back in his car seat sound asleep. I managed somehow to turn around and look at him hoping he wasn’t being hurt. He was very much awake and had the most terrified look in his eyes as he looked at me screaming the worst scream I have ever heard from him. The force of everything threw me back into my seat and I remember looking over at Dustin thinking one of us is gonna lose our lives as I watched the ceiling cave down a little further. Besides the screams from Kelton, I heard my husband praying. The most heart wrenching plea for help that I have ever heard him pray. Then finally I just had to close my eyes thinking, “This is it.” Then came the abrupt stop.

We began to evaluate ourselves and each other expecting to find great harm. We managed to reach back to Kelton and realized nothing major was wrong with him either so Dustin was able to get him out of his car seat to get him close to us. We had a few nicks from glass and I had hit my head pretty good but the main thing was we were okay — shook up, nerved out, and freezing cold as it was still snowing.

A gentleman had seen our car and ran to help. Once he realized we were okay, alive, and not seriously injured, he wanted to help us get out of the freezing temperatures and get in his warm truck to wait on the emergency personnel. We handed Kelton to him out the sun roof and Dustin and him wanted me to go next. Y’all, the hardest thing was knowing that I was gonna have to leave my husband trapped inside that vehicle not knowing when or how he was gonna get out. I only went because my son needed me but my heart was still in that vehicle. Dustin had to push me and the man had to pull me while standing on a slope, holding the diaper bag and Kelton. I managed to get my feet on the ground with their help as the man walked us down the hill to his truck.

The man opened his truck door and I seen the most welcoming sight: an old black Bible setting in his truck. Already emotional, I could not contain my tears. I knew God had shown up for us! We got situated into the truck and Kelton sat beside me. All on his own he grabbed my hand just like he has seen his Daddy do and held it tight and would not take his eyes off our vehicle. He knew his Daddy was still there. He was being so brave but had such a concerned look on his face. Even at two years old, he knew something wasn’t right. The gentleman ran back to help Dustin and they had thought maybe he could get out his door which was above Dustin’s head. He did manage to get it open somewhat but by this time emergency personnel had arrived at the scene and began warning him to stop moving and that the situation was too dangerous for him to attempt.

The vehicle came to a stop after the second roll by a little tree that barely caught the back side of our bumper, right behind the drivers side back tire. That was the only thing holding the car up from rolling even more. They told Dustin that every time he moved the tree swayed and it was on the verge of breaking. What we did not know until they told us was that if the tree broke, the car would roll again and roll right off a 10 foot embankment. They had to stabilize the car before they could evaluate how to get Dustin out of the car. They decided the safest way would be out the windshield. The glass was already busted but being held together by the protective film on windshields. Dustin had to shield himself as they had to use a huge saw to cut the windshield out. Once it was removed, Dustin still was not able to crawl out due to the position of the car as it was too difficult to get footing to get out. They put a protective covering over the cut windshield and had to pull him out of the car. He came out and walked to the ambulance where I was at by that time. God had His hand in the situation!

When the ambulance arrived, I remember seeing the medics run past the truck that Kelton and I were setting in. As they ran towards the car, they began shouting, “Where’s the baby?” The gentleman helping us motioned to his truck and they made a rushing beeline back to the truck. They were almost speechless when they opened the door and seen us setting there basically unscathed. For a minute they thought that Kelton wasn’t even in the wreck because he was so calm. Later I learned that they had told someone that they came to the scene expecting the worst and expecting blood. But God!

We all rode in the ambulance together to the ER to get checked out as aches and pains were starting to set in. What should have been about a 10 minute drive was a 25 minute drive due to the weather conditions. The roads were slick and the snow was still coming down but we were safe! God was with us!

After several hours and tests at the ER, we all walked out with no casts and no stitches — no major injuries. Kelton checked out completely fine, Dustin had bruised ribs, and I had a few bruises and a headache from hitting my head. The only thing we have to show for our hospital visit is a pair of bright yellow hospital socks because my feet were so cold because my shoes were wet from climbing out of the car and walking in the snow to the truck.

We found out from the paramedics and the wrecker service that the road we had the accident on had been shut down due to the conditions. Emergency personnel fell because it was so slick, the vehicles were sliding around when trying to get out off the area, and the wrecker truck actually slid off the road himself and had to get winched out. It took him two hours to get the wrecker out and then another hour to get our car out. They said that when he started trying to get our car out, the tree gave way and started rolling again, but he was able to stop it because he had it already attached to the truck by a chain.

God’s hand was on us and with us no doubt! We don’t understand why it had to happen but all that matters is that God showed up and we walked away from it. To God be the Glory for his protection and faithfulness! As the next few days passed, we found glass in our hair, in our coat pockets, in our shoes, in Dustin and Kelton’s pants pockets, and all in the bottom of the diaper bag. We had pockets of glass yet we send praises to God! Our car was totaled out but God was Totally that present help in time of need! To God be Glory! We are so thankful for His faithfulness!