Smoking Cars and long tunnels

Driving home from my clothing drop-off and feeling quite content, I ran into a few problems. Anyone familiar with the Pittsburgh area knows that in order to get pretty much anywhere, you probably have to go over a bridge and through a tunnel. So, in returning from the north side of town towards my home, I went over a bridge happily making sure I was in the correct lane for the tunnel so I could get to the right road as the bridge is an interstate feeding into a tunnel that dumps out onto three main roads (for those of you familiar with the area I went through the PItt tunnel). Well, I got just a little ways into the tunnel when the car began to slow. I thought perhaps I was in too high of a gear and so I downshifted.. and again.. and again! Now I was in a 50mph tunnel in 2nd gear only able to summon enough energy for maybe 5 or 10 mph! I had my foot down as far as the pedal would go and was praying hard!

Smoke! As I watched the gap widen in front of me to see no cars in my lane still in the tunnel and the end still very far away, I glance behind me to see I was smoking! The tunnel was slowing filling up with black smoke behind me. One nice things was that all the other drivers were quite polite and nobody seemed mad at me. There was not a single horn blown as we inched our way through the tunnel. I reached the end and found the three major roads splitting off. Choosing the easiest to pull off onto and the one with the highest probability of finding a parking lot I continued to pray hard and thank the drivers who gently pointed out that I was smoking and going quite slow. :)

One very amusing part was that as I approached the off-ramp, the cars behind me happily followed along! They did not zip past even when there was plenty of room! Happily following this poor little smoking car inching at a snail's pace. Only in Pittsburgh! Finding myself finally on Rt. 19, I prayed for a quick pull off.. a little motel! Glory to God! I made it into the parking lot and a parking space! Thank You Jesus!

Another little miracle was a friend whom I was supposed to see that afternoon decided to come and see me in the parking lot! He planned to visit at my house, and well we just switched our location! He also gave me a ride home after the tow truck came... 4 hours later!!! Thank you Lord fro good friends and wonderful guardian angels!