The Blowout  
The Blow Out

Today was the anniversary of the death of my oldest son. It is always a difficult day. I finished my prayers and packed my car. The glory around me did nothing to help my spirits. I called my husband, a girl friend, and both of my other children. As I traveled down the 4 lane major highway, I couldn't shake the sadness.

Suddenly the car ahead of me had a blowout. For about 20 seconds, all I could think of was not hitting the car. The driver was gripping the wheel and doing an excellent job of keeping the car under control. It careened toward a hill and I grew concerned about the passenger. The driver veered away from the hill and I grew concerned about the car flipping. The car finally stopped up against the hill and stuck deeply in the sand. It was right side up.

I managed to stop my car 10 feet in front of them and ran back to see if they needed help.

Out of the car stepped 2 teenage boys. They were both fine. Thank God a mother wasn't going to grieve a lost son today. Jared, age 17, was driving. His brother, Justin, aged 16 was with him. This mother had fun naming both boys with a J and the boys laughingly said there were 2 more J's at home.

I complimented Jared on his driving. His skill kept the vehicle from flipping and hitting the embankment. He laughed again and said he was getting good at this. Someone recently stopped too quickly in front of him and he ended up in a ditch.

Justin said he saw the side of the hill coming close to him and he wondered if he was going to hit it. He was relieved when the car stopped.

Jared said that at least it wasn't raining. What a positive attitude. I knew I liked these boys.

Jared called his parents and I called the police. The police were already on the way. A couple of other cars stopped but left when things seemed fine.

Jared talked to his father easily without shame or defensiveness. They joked. The father decided to send a friend with a towrope and a big truck.

The boys lived an hour away and were on their way to "duning" in their high wheeled truck. As we talked about duning and their dirt bike, it was obvious these boys loved adventure. They have probably scared their parents a time or two, but were obviously good-hearted boys.

Jared admitted that he knew the tires were bad. Budget constraints had caused a new tire purchase to be postponed.

This is where I have a confession to make. I turned into a mother giving a lecture. I looked at him and told him he was lucky to be alive. I told him this was the anniversary of the death of my oldest son. I told him he had a mother who loved him and mothers never got over losing a son. I firmly suggested he take better care of himself in the future.

Jared was a great sport about the lecture. He had the decency to look sympathetic about my son. I felt guilty and quickly lightened up the topic. He looked relieved.

Since there was no need of a tow truck and no serious damage, the police left quickly. They did warn the boys about the high wheels being very close to the limit. He said there were reasons for those limits.

We talked another 30 minutes. The boys described their church and said they were "born again" Christians. They usually go to church but sometimes are too tired from working.

Both boys proudly described their father's landscaping business. They work for their father after school and on weekends. Knowing that there was a wide variety of service in landscaping companies, I asked if they were any good. They gave me several reference accounts, including beautiful city parks that I had passed. The pride of their work was in their eyes.

They both planned to work full time with their father after they graduated from high school. We talked a little about college but they both knew what they wanted to do with their lives. How nice to be so sure. It was easy to picture them taking over the family business one day.

I told the boys about Pocket Full Of Quarters and gave them a card. Justin pulled out a large handful of quarters. A man after my own heart.

I was no longer needed, so I gave them food and water and begrudgingly left. These boys were great fun. They painted such a positive picture of their family life. They described a family that loves one another. The boys are proud of their father. They have a mother that insists the family goes to church.

They are allowed to play and be boys. They are competent and have a strong work ethic. It is a good guess that their senses of adventure and humor have led their parents on some merry chases. It is also a good guess that it is all in harmless fun.

As I drove away, I was energized. There is nothing like a little adrenaline to lift spirits. Meeting these boys was a gift from God. I enjoyed the rest of the day.

Join me in thanking God for their safety. Pray for their future in their father's business. Thank God for a family that prepared their children to face the obstacles of life. Also pray that Jared gets new tires.

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Cheryle M. Touchton is the Director of Pocket Full of Change Ministries. For more information or to schedule a speaker for an event, go to www.pocketfullofchange.org or call Cheryle Touchton at 904-614-3585.

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