Some years ago as I was on my way home from church, driving a stretch of road that I had driven hundreds of times prior, something happened that made me have to pull over. It’s six years later and still difficult to describe. I could not convince myself that me and my car would make it around the bend. It was so bad that I pulled over, called my mom and asked her to bring a friend. I was unable to drive the rest of the way home. I was about ten minutes from home, and yet paralyzed with fear.
As I’ve mentioned, this is a path that is convenient for me to take, and I’ve had to drive it many times since that day. Some days I want to avoid it, and some days it’s just a regular stretch of road.
Recently, as I passed it, I thought back to that day. Nothing seemingly was odd about it.
After another five minutes or so of driving, the radio host was sharing a story of how her mother kept getting turned around on a road that was very familiar. She was wondering why, but a little while later she saw why. There had been a head on collision, and if she hadn’t gotten turned around, she might have been in that accident.
As I looked up, the memory rushed back to my mind. That day when I was stopped, it was a disappointing feeling. I wondered what was going on with me why I couldn’t even make it home. But, in that moment, listening to the radio host, as I looked up, I remembered. At that very spot was a collision that had at least two cars crumpled on the side walk, near a building. It was a really bad accident.
My mind started wondering, six years later, is that what the Lord did for me? Stop me so long that I was not even near the accident when it happened? As I thought back, based on the fact that paramedics were already on the scene, it might have been the exact moment that I would have been passing, had I not been stopped.
The next day I called my mom to share. She too had heard the story on the radio, and she also remembered the awful remnants from the accident.
Friends, there are times that we cannot understand why we get turned around or delayed so bad. But, I’m going to trust that it’s for my good and I may be being saved from something I cannot see. I may not even get an answer in six years and it might just be on the other side of this life where I learn just how I was protected.
Dear Heavenly Father, while sometimes we go through difficult circumstances that we would rather avoid, we can look back and be grateful that your divine protection does not leave us alone. Help me to remember what Romans 8:28 says, ‘and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.’ And help us to have a divine perspective when you put the brakes on things when we’d rather keep going.