Last Sunday I invited my son Michael to go skiing with me at Power Ridge in Kimball. We were going to meet at the chalet, him driving in from St. John's and me from Willmar. It was one of those days where it looked like it was going to be windy, warm and a chance of snow. What it turned out to be was nasty...freezing drizzle and rain. All the way to Kimball I had the wipers running intermittently, and knowing the temperature was only in the 20s, I kept it under the speed limit. As I approached the town of Kimball, my phone rang...it was Michael. He said "Dad...I'm having car troubles and you're going to have to come and help me." He had slid off of Highway 15 at St. Augusta, about 4 miles south of St. Cloud, and hit some trees on the shore of Beaver Lake. I drove up there, parked, got out and almost slipped on my butt on the ice rink road surface. He was not hurt, but the car looked pretty bad...smashed up rear quarter panel, mirror broken and back window blown out. We had it towed to Midas in St. Cloud and they've spent the past week getting it back into shape. When I get done writing this, I will be going to get a new back window, and tomorrow we will pickup the car and continue trying to get it roadworthy for him again. Of course, it had minimum insurance so nothing, even the $200 tow job, was covered. As a newsman I'm used to covering crashes when the weather is bad, but it's another thing when it's someone in your family. In church that morning I prayed for safe travel for myself and Michael, and there's the temptation to ask God why he let this happen. Then when I realize Michael was sliding down the opposite site of Highway 15, doing a 360 before hitting the trees, and no one hit him, I am so very thankful to God for looking out for him.
