Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory. Ps 50:15
On a morning very similar to the ones we have experienced in recent days, I had a trip of some 10 or 12 miles to make on roads that had been thawing by day and refreezing overnight. I was much younger then—it was just six weeks before I was to marry Ken—and I was accustomed to driving the roads in our Ozark hills. Even so, I exercised extreme caution as I headed out the gravel drive from my campground home in Lesterville, Mo on my way to Johnson’s Shut-ins State Park, where Ken was assigned, on what was supposed to be the first leg of a trip to St Louis. He would drive the longer leg of our journey.
Ken had been experiencing respiratory difficulties and eventually had lost his voice completely. He’d seen the local doctor who had no answers for the disappearance of Ken’s voice, thus the referral to an ENT that the doctor knew in the city hoping that an answer could be found quickly. Ken and I wanted our vows to be heard on that special day.
I had barely turned onto the highway from the gravel when my tires skidded. I had hit black ice. I remembered that the wisdom of the day said to turn into the skid, but I couldn’t. The car took on a life of its own and rested on the opposite side of the road in a matter of seconds, had made a complete 180° turn, and was prepared to proceed in the other direction. I, however, was not. I walked quickly back to my house and called Ken, whereupon he told me to sit tight and he would come for me. He felt sure we had plenty of time and he wanted company on the trip.
Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Psalm 37:7a
I took advantage of my wait by calling a friend to ask for a tow back to my house. He said it would be a little while but he’d have it back where it belonged well before I returned. The trip to St Louis was slippery and had its scary moments, but because we had allowed extra travel time, we arrived as planned for the appointment. We learned that the source of his problem was a nasty infection on the vocal cords and antibiotics were prescribed. The doctor’s words, however, were less than encouraging. He said Ken could regain his voice in a week, in a month, or maybe never. We traveled home with heavy thoughts on our minds but, at least, the weather had cleared and everything had melted. When we got back to my house, my car was in the driveway, none the worse for wear.
Fast forward a couple of years and I was headed to town from the park for groceries when I again hit black ice. I’d just rounded a sharp curve which led me to a shaded area. Fortunately, the curve had slowed me down considerably, but like before, I had no control. This time I spun a couple of times and landed atop a culvert with one wheel folded underneath the car. I was off the road so I left the car to walk up a long driveway to a neighbor’s home to make a much-dreaded call. Both these incidents were well before we had even heard of a cell phone so I had to find a landline. Ken arrived shortly to take me home and arrange for a tow to the repair shop. I haven’t ventured onto a snowy highway since.
I tell you these two tales because I want you to exercise extreme caution as you drive this winter but also because I want to remind you that even though we think we’re in control of our everyday lives, we aren’t. God has made a schedule for every moment that we breathe…every single moment. And regardless of how we believe things should happen, they’ll only materialize in His good time if He wants them to happen. Our plans are often interrupted by seemingly coincidental timing, but there’s nothing coincidental about it. He has His hand on everything we do. We can choose to accept His guidance or to go it on our own. But we can’t make Him go away, because He always waits nearby for us to realize we need Him. God had control of my car in both these instances and he steered it to a place of safety for me. I can only imagine my fate had He left me to my own skills. On those occasions when He invites me to choose which way I want to go, I hope that I will choose wisely the path that He would have chosen for me.
Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him and he will help you. Psalm 37:5
You may be wondering if Ken was able to speak at our wedding. He was….just loud enough for the preacher and myself to hear. Our guests had to trust that all was said according to tradition or, more precisely, our own vows. Just one day before we were doubtful that the words would be spoken aloud, but God gave Ken a voice at just the right time….God’s good time.
Not only does God have a plan for your life, but he has the perfect timing for each step of that wonderful plan. Joyce Meyer, Quiet Times with God
