Lady....Do you know how lucky you are???

It has been one of "those"days. It didn't start out bad- seemed like the stars were aligned and I would actually get everything done that was on my "to do" list. I should know better.

Tonight, as I take a deep breath and try to sort out the events of the day, I am reminded of a morning about six years ago. I was a manager at McDonalds, which was one of the coolest, most annoying, greatest, dumbest careers I have ever had. This particular morning I was running the dayside shift, working normal human hours from 9-6. Part of the dayside manager's responsibility is to take the deposit from the bank the night before, and to make sure there is enough change in the store to get through the day. After wandering around the store, doing my pre-shift checklist, I grabbed an Egg McMuffin, my Diet Coke, the deposit, the change order and my cell phone and was out the door. This would be the last bit of quiet I would have for the rest of the day. I would enjoy those fifteen minutes!

As I pulled out of the parking lot and got to the stoplight I unwrapped my Egg McMuffin. turned on the radio and answered my phone. It was my wonderful friend who lives in Colorado Springs. I took a swig of my Diet Coke, the light changed. I shuffled my phone, my sandwich and my soda and as I was ready to pull out, a car ran the red light, and plowed into the car that was next to me. I hung up the phone and jumped out of my car.

The next few minutes were a blur of directing traffic around the wreck, helping the elderly gentleman who was the driver of the car that was T-boned, checking on the driver who ran the red light, chatting with police about what happened and basic, all around Chaos.

Another driver, who was across the road from me in the accident, was giving his description to the officer of the accident. When he finished, he came over to me and grabbed me by the arm and exclaimed,

"Lady! Do you know how lucky you are?"

My first thought was that I had now gotten out of almost an hour of work while we were standing on the side of the road, but I had a feeling that was not what he was talking about.

"That should have been you- the car that got T-boned. If you had pulled into the intersection when the light changed, he would have hit you! You are one lucky lady!"

My thoughts wandered. I should have been hit. But somehow, because I was talking on the phone, eating an Egg Mcmuffin and drinking a Diet Coke, I was not in a wreck. I was safe because I was distracted, and frankly, being a bad driver. How did that work?

I don't know why the cute little old man was in the wreck and I wasn't. I really don't think the Lord was in any way blessing me for being dumb in the car and trying to multitask. But I was lucky, or call it what you want.

Today, when my son got sick and needed to go to the doctor, when I spent more money than I had planned, when the battery went dead, when the printer called with changes and I found out the brochures are going to cost more than I planned..... I am not at the center of some conspiracy to "get Carrie..." I am just chalking it up to "just one of THOSE days."

But when the dust settles, and I look back at today, I remember my granddaughter in her car seat wearing her princess ball cap drinking out of a sippy cup and I know I have not seen anything so dang cute in the world. When lunch with a friend brings laughter that goes into "snorting" at the resturarant, it is a good day. When there is medicine to help my son feel better, when my grandson jumps on my tramp and his laughter fills my back yard, when my son-in-law comes with tools to fix something, when I see my daughter and know she is carrying another beautiful grandbaby.... I remember that morning years ago... and that man's voice echoes in my heart.....

"Lady...do you know how lucky you are??"

And tonight, I say, Yes, this random woman knows exactly how lucky she is....and she offers a quiet prayer of thanks. ....like so many women will tonight....one random woman at a time.