A tale of spirituality?

Perhaps I’ll let you decide.

Last Wednesday night, 11:30pm, I was headed on my way home when I found the front door covered in ice. All the gutters had frozen solid and melting snow from the roof overflowed the sides to land on the awning above the doorway. Unfortunately, it had built up on top of there and wedged between a crack where the awning meets the aluminum siding. From there, the melting snow dripped onto the doorknob, freezing on contact and creating a gigantic ball of ice around the keyhole.

I was able to beat it off and wedge my key in to open the door. I should have done something else then and there to remedy the problem. But my tiredness had me go upstairs, wash my face off, grab a bite to eat, and crawl into bed to sleep.

In the morning I got ready for work. I planned to get there early to make up for being late on Wednesday because of the snow delays. I hurried down the steps ready to walk out the door and immediately catch the bus.

I couldn’t open the door. I couldn’t even turn the knob or the key in the lock. In that instant, I realized the ice must have completely covered the knob during the night. In my mind, I debated what to do. I was trapped inside my apartment with no way to get out. Should I call the landlord? Should I contact the police/fire department?

I went upstairs and grabbed a hammer. I pounded on the door to loosen the ice outside, then finally got the doorknob to turn. Strange, because when I opened the door the entire outside knob was still ice-covered including the keyhole. It shouldn’t have turned. Anyway, I tapped the ice away. Then I went back upstairs, turned on the gas stove, and took out a flat-headed screwdriver as I held it over the flame. I hurried down the steps and placed it inside the keyhole to melt the ice away.

While I was doing all of this, the bus I was suppose to catch came and passed by.

Knowing I could catch the next one, but not arrive early to work, I continued my efforts to make sure my knob would stay unfrozen. I went back upstairs (remembered to turn off the burner) and grabbed a garbage bag along with a rubber band. I covered over the knob with the bag and hurried to catch the next bus while carrying the screwdriver and a lighter in my backpack just in case after work my little contraption failed to hold back the ice.

Going along the route, and halfway downtown, there was an accident on the road that my bus was able to detour around. Unfortunately, the earlier bus I had missed was stuck ahead in traffic, unmoving and possibly involved in the accident.

I realized that if the doorknob had not frozen over, I would have caught that bus, been stuck there, and become late again for work.

After my shift ended that night, I reached the apartment expecting the bag to be covered in ice. Yet it wasn’t despite all the water coming from the gutter that had reformed more icicles on my mailbox. I took off the dry bag and headed inside.

What do you think of my story? Divine intervention? Or just a lucky coincidence?