I recently picked up a PRN position at a local hospital. I had just gotten off from a shift where I hadn’t sat down for more than 3 minutes at a time until change of shift, and then had to chart for an hour. So it was about 8:30 when I headed home, it was dark and chilly out, and I was exhausted in all the ways.

Pulling out of the parking lot, I notice someone behind me driving erratically, driving up on my bumper and backing off, etc. I didn’t think anything of it because, well, some people are bad drivers or under the influence. They’re behind me for a mile or so, turn with me onto this long road that I take to get home, and then they turn off a mile or two in. So now I’m driving down this dark country road that I take every time, going under the speed limit at about 50 because I’d recently had a tire blow and my husband had put the spare on while he took the tire to get it replaced. There‘s nobody in the oncoming lane as far as I could see, and nobody behind me since the one person turned off. It’s usually a decently well-traveled road during the day, but at night it turns into a bit of a ghost town. But everyone takes this road at one point or another, so I reasoned it must be safe.

As I’m coming around a bend, I notice a person crouching at the side of the road in what I thought was a reflector suit, until I get closer and realize that, whatever they’re wearing, it’s got bright LED lights in it that actually shined into my car somewhat. This man looks like he’s at the edge of a driveway, so I’m thinking he’s doing something with the mailbox, because that’s the only thing that would make even a little sense. I swerved a little to give him space. I took a good look at the road through my headlights, making sure he’s not trying to catch an animal or something, so I don’t hit whatever it is – there’s nothing there. As I’m passing in front of him, my driver’s side tires are crossing back over the center line into my lane. At that exact moment, I feel a jolt and hear a loud *POP* followed by a continuous, rapid *thump-thump-thump-thump*.

I was on the phone with Christian at the time, and it was loud enough to hear clearly from his end. I distinctly remember saying “ahhh… TELL ME I did not just blow another tire!” He has the same sinking feeling based on what he had heard. Both of us come to the conclusion that based on the sound, there’s nothing else it could be. After driving about 20 seconds with the back driver’s tire thumping away, a white SUV with bright lights comes up weirdly fast behind me. I knew I was going kinda slow (still maintaining about 45 at this point but with some difficulty) so I put my hazards on. They could have easily passed me, but they didn’t. There was no one else on the road except the two of us, and they just stayed there, within a car’s length of my tailpipe.

At this point I’m starting to connect the dots and think scary thoughts. My only spare is already on my rear passenger side, and this person is uncomfortably close – they’re following me for minutes down this dark, empty road instead of passing me, as if they’re waiting for me to pull over. A minute or two later, they’re still behind me and the tire is still thumping loudly. I’m still about 7 miles from home and refusing to pull over. I’m determined to keep driving as long as I can, but not sure how long I’d be able to sustain speed as the tire lost air. I don’t remember the exact words but at this point, I threw up a quick prayer of desperation out loud and said, “Lord, please help!”

I continued talking to my husband about what was going on and trying to figure out what to do, and, suddenly, the thumping stops! The car is driving like normal, and it’s smooth sailing. I shut my hazards off and speed up a little, Christian is asking me details about how it feels on the road, so I’m swerving back and forth a little to test it. It isn’t responding the best to turns, but it’s better than it was. Just at that moment, I see the car behind me turn down a sideroad and speed off.

Relieved, but also not sure what in the world had just happened and still kinda concerned, we then try to figure out what to do next. One option was stopping at the gas station I had just approached to wait for Christian to come get me. Alone, in the middle of nowhere, after possibly being sabotaged and followed? Absolutely not.

The other option was to pray. I told my husband just then of the time when the pastor of the motorcycle ministry my dad was in blew out a tire on his bike on a run, filled it up and prayed. He somehow made it the whole hour and a half home with no incidents…and woke up the next morning to find the tire completely flat again. I prayed that specific thing over my situation, claiming it in Jesus’ name, and Christian prayed for God to get me home safe. After a harrowing 10 minutes of “driving by faith,” I rolled into our driveway, got out and checked. I couldn’t get a detailed look of course since it was dark, but the tire wasn’t even low. I wasn’t sure what had happened, but I thanked God for getting me home safe and went to bed.

The next time I went to the car, the picture below is what I saw. My driver’s rear tire was completely flat.

I’m still not 100% sure what happened that night. Am I reading into it? Who knows. But the pieces, as they fit together, create a really creepy picture in a world where evil intent is everywhere. I found out that a woman went missing 8 years ago about two hours from here, and all they found was her car, abandoned on the side of the road with a flat tire, and all her belongings inside. Reports were put out last year that this is a tactic people are using now to abduct women – cause a flat tire and pull over to “help” them. Was that their intent? I many never know on this earth. But being followed from work onto a dark country road…one person crouching next to a dark, empty road…followed by me hitting something that popped my tire immediately on impact right in front of them…then getting followed until the exact moment the issue resolved and I was able to drive right again…it’s a chain of events that I can’t just push out of my mind and act like it was nothing.

One thing I know for absolute fact, is that my tire was popped and went flat, spontaneously got filled back up with air WHILE I was driving, and got me 7 miles down the road until I was home safe, where it went flat again in my driveway.

I cannot be convinced that this wasn’t an absolute miracle. I know my God sent angels to intervene to save me that night. From what? Not sure. But the fact that He intervened so clearly is evidence to me that it wouldn’t have been okay if He had not done so.

I want to encourage EVERYONE— if you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus, get one. There is too much happening in this world right now to leave your fate to chance. We don’t always have a way of knowing how to avoid trouble, but He does. Without Him this story could have ended a lot differently, if our suspicions are correct. But my God knows the end from the beginning, and as soon as I called, He answered.

“The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them.” Psalm 34:7

"My enemies have set a trap for me. I am weary from distress. They have dug a deep pit in my path, but they themselves have fallen into it. My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises!" Psalm 57:6-7.