Driving from Richmond VA to Mount Pleasant SC on Friday, for the Cooper River Bridge Run, I was relying on my car navigation rather than the iPhone. For whatever reason, it sent me on a short parallel detour on business Highway 95, rather than continuing on I-95, as I passed Fayetteville NC.

That time delay, or benefit, whichever it is, put me in Lumberton NC in a few minutes more. Many of you who travel I-95 will recoil in horror as you think of driving through Lumberton. It is never good. There is always a delay. It is the worst place to be, whenever you are there.

Lumberton. Maybe I’ll make it through. Maybe the traffic won’t be bad. Maybe I’ll get to Mount Pleasant on time. And, while thinking these positive thoughts, I’m watching the road ahead. There, on the northbound side, I could see a log truck in the fast lane, right on the jersey wall median. The trailer full of logs began to tip over to the southbound side, the driver’s side of that truck, and it was truly in slow motion, like a 1980s episode of CHiPs. The full load of logs appeared at first to be constrained to the northbound lanes, but then I saw two logs fall onto the southbound side, and roll diagonally across the roadway.

One log caught my eye, as it rolled towards me to the west. It was about two feet in diameter, and maybe eight feet long. Freshly cut, the bark was just falling off of it, spewing onto the asphalt. A car, just in front of me, kept to the right and made it past. I started to follow, but in the next second, the log had rolled into the lane I was in.

So, I glanced to the left in the mirror, turned my head for a double-check, and shifted lanes quickly to the left to avoid the rolling log. The 2023 MINI Cooper Clubman reacted instantly, like a Formula 1 racecar, and I saw the log roll further into the slow lane, and stop. Looking ahead, I saw the debris field from the bark and branches, and found a path for the tires to roll without hitting anything. I saw two clear passages just wide enough for the tires, and veered right to get back in the slow lane.

I looked back and saw the entire southbound traffic fully stopped behind me. The log, the multicar accident on the northbound side, and all the commotion jammed up both north and southbound lanes, and so I was the last car to make it past that point for a while.

I remember years ago receiving “emergency vehicle operations” training with the police. On an airfield road, I was challenged to quickly react to a cone placed in the middle of the road, with essentially no notice, at 55 mph. The instructor actually had us drive forward, straight down the airfield road, with a clipboard in front of our eyes so we couldn’t see anything but the speedometer. At a moment, he lowered the clipboard, and it was time to move left then right to avoid hitting the cone. I know that confidence-building training helped me on Friday.

The Little Blue Car sure made it easy to react and avoid a crash! Low profile Michelin Pilot Sport tires, responsive steering, excellent brakes, and great visibility made me feel like that Formula 1 pilot.

And, as we say at Hope Church RVA, “you go nowhere by accident!” I was there, at the right time, with the right equipment, with the right training. God sends His angels to watch over us, and His Spirit directs us in ways we can’t understand. I felt ZERO emotion. No shock, no awe. Just a simple dash left then right and back on the gas. Surreal.

I survived the 10K. It wasn’t easy–my time was the same as two years ago, but I made it. The race had 36,458 registered participants. It is a great way to test yourself.

After a brief visit with family I returned home yesterday. Drive back through Lumberton NC? I decided to try another route. “Country roads, take me home, to the place, I belong” is the singer’s plea, and that’s what I did, all the way from Mount Pleasant SC to Clinton NC. Soon enough, after reaching Clinton and stopping for a delightful Filet-o-NOT fresh Fish, I was on I-40 west, and then back on I-95. And, in eight hours, I was home.

This summer, as you travel, pay close attention to your schedule, your route, your equipment, and your condition. Take the time to take it easy (another super song). Say a prayer. And trust Him.