We talked about it for awhile and realized that what he really wanted to do was martial arts training. If he joined the police force, he would have to start at the bottom and work his way up to the position of office training. As we talked we developed a plan wherein he could train under a local master for a year and a half, and after that time, he could open his own martial arts school.

That night I had another dream. In it our entire family was at the Grand Canyon. We jumped off the edge and were paragliding across it. What a wonderful feeling! I took that to mean we had made good decisions and were on our way to where we should be. Also, I realized I had squelched my husband’s spirituality and made the decision to go to church with him, maybe not every Sunday, but enough to get him back on track.

After not hearing from her for several months, I called her. She was at her husband’s office balancing his bank statement, something he had put off so long it had become an almost impossible task. His procrastination had long been one of her complaints. My friend was usually the kindest, most caring person I’d ever met, but that day she was very short toward me as we talked. I wondered what I had done.

It was not a conversation I cared to linger in, so I hung up quickly. I thought about the conversation for several days, and the way she had treated me. Finally, I thought, “If it’s that bad, why don’t you just leave”? That kind of surprised me as I’ve never been an advocate of divorce. But what was really weird was that after seventeen years of marriage, within just a few weeks she did!!!

I sure am glad I listened to that little voice and did not let my temper get me killed.

The music came to an abrupt stop as the high pitched sound of the battery dying drowned out the sound of the torrential rain. Annoyed, I decided to scan the radio. The sound of the obnoxious radio jockey forced me to select other stations. Nothing appealed to me. The cars in front of me were moving too slow, so I changed to the left lane. As I continued, my speed increased along with my annoyance. Cars whizzed past and blocked out my entire windshield with water. The scan function on my radio stopped and a very powerful voice came through. It was a preacher. My first instinct was to switch the station because I did not want to hear about God. However, this unknown preacher’s voice captivated my attention. Assurance and confidence spilled forth from this man’s words and he calmed my aggravation. Slowly, my speed decreased as his message about finding the light within people continued.

I went from 70 m.p.h. (the legal limit) to 50 m.p.h. on the highway. Soon, a maroon SUV raced past me and it was at least three cars away. I continued to listen to the preacher speak about specific Bible stories, the characters, and how it relates to the inner light we all have. Less than a minute later, the maroon SUV swerved out of control, spun 180 degrees, and landed in a ditch. The entire incident happened so quickly — it took a minute to switch my focus from the message on the radio to the world around me. Disbelief coursed through my mind. If I had been going the original speed of 70 m.p.h, I would have been close to that car and probably involved in the accident, but this preacher’s message forced me to slow down, probably saving my life.

I am not a fiercely religious person or fanatical about my beliefs, however I always knew there was a divine being guiding us. The message I heard came to me for a reason, as cheesy as it may sound, for us not to rush through life, but to listen to the little things that are important.So now, from time to time, instead of begrudging that I cannot listen to my music and I have to resort to the radio, I’ll listen to a divine message.

I distinctly heard a voice inside me say, “Stop now and get your glasses and a flashlight.” It was so authoritative that I obeyed without question. I came back to the job, finally equipped to do it correctly. I put on my glasses, turned on the flashlight, and laid down on the floor. What I saw next made my blood run cold. On the back of the tower, right next to where my hand had been, was a scorpion with its tail curled to strike. I backed away.

Now I wouldn’t have died from a scorpion bite, but I sure would have hurt. I had been telling God I wanted to hear him more clearly. That was about as clear as it could get!