This week I witnessed what I can only describe as a Christmas miracle—a moment of divine providence that left me in awe of God’s care for me.

I had some work done on the front end of my Honda while we visited our Florida family. Even after the repairs, a noise persisted, and I knew it needed further inspection. I planned to take it back to the mechanic but hadn’t yet made the trip.

After finishing my morning worksite visits south of the Philadelphia airport on Wednesday morning, I headed northbound on Route 95. I was driving in the left-hand lane, just past the airport and approaching the Girard Point Bridge, when everything seemed to unravel. Two loud bangs rang out, and it felt like the front end of my car had completely collapsed.

Surrounded by cars and trucks, I had no idea how to safely get out of the traffic. Yet, somehow, I managed to cross two lanes of heavy traffic from the far-left lane to the wide shoulder on the right. Miraculously, there were no screeching tires, no blaring horns, and no crashes—only the deafening noise of my car’s failure. I came to a stop, safe and unharmed.

I can’t explain how it happened, except to say that God’s hand was on me. What could have been a deadly accident turned into a moment of awe and profound gratitude. As I reflect on this Christmas miracle, I can’t help but marvel at the details:

- How did my car cross two lanes of traffic when the right front tire had collapsed?

- How did it end up in the exact spot where I could stop safely?

- Why was no one else injured—or myself—when everything went so wrong?

The likelihood of such an event ending without harm defies all logic. It might seem like luck or chance to some, but I know it was God. His protection and providence were evident in every detail.

Yet even as I give thanks for this incredible display of His care, I am reminded of a deeper truth: Had God not protected me in this incident, nothing would have changed my view of Him as the God who watches over me. Even if the outcome had been different—even if harm had come to me—it would not shake my faith in His goodness or sovereignty. I would have accepted that as His will for my life, trusting in His greater plan, even when I didn’t understand it.

This Christmas, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for God’s grace and provision. I am thankful for His love, His mercy, and His protection, but even more, I am thankful for who He is—a God who is always present, always faithful, and always good. To Him be all the glory for this miracle and for the peace that comes from knowing He is in control, no matter the circumstances.

Jim Leary