God's Protection

Well, after my near death experience yesterday..... Ok, ok.. That's a little dramatic. After my "experience" ;) yesterday I have had time to reflect....

Yesterday I was traveling west on Sequoyah Way. I had gone this way to get to the stop light. Turning left onto South Arkansas from Mick's work is just too dangerous a risk. (ironic) So, I'm traveling down Sequoyah way towards the light next to Big Red. I noticed that the light had been green for a while and as I neared it I realized it wasn't going to change so I barely touched my brake. As I was crossing the intersection I saw something that no one wants to see while in middle of the intersection.....A car crossing in front of me. I stopped in the middle of the intersection, saw all the cars stopped on either side of me on South Arkansas, and then noticing the car that had just missed me travel on down the road without a care in the world. In disbelief I traveled the rest of the way home.

As much as this wasn't a "near death experience" it was an experience that caused my life to flash before my eyes. I thanked God for my safety and for my family. And don't think for a second that my new commitment to Him didn't cross my mind either. I don't know what the driver of the other car was doing to make them so distracted. They could've been checking their facebook account on their phone, texting somebody, or changing the radio station... I don't know. All I know is they weren't paying attention at a very important time, the scarier fact was that they never knew that time had happened.

What they didn't realize was in a split second of them not being able to find the radio station two kids named Marty and Maggie, and a husband named Mickey were about to live a different life because of it. As much as I am proud of the fact I will be living in Heaven with my maker one day, I don't particularly want that one day to be now. I have a family that doesn't need to grow up without their mom and wife. I may not carry that prestigious of a title to the world, but in my world I am very important.

At no point after this "happening" was I angry with the driver. How easily could it have been me that was distracted? I do pray for them to pay more attention next time though. From that moment all I could think about was God's timing. I heard often while growing up that while traveling somewhere people believed in God delaying them for unknown reasons possibly to keep them safe from unknown harm ahead of them. I remember a time traveling to LifeCenter with my family when they were out on hwy 64. My dad made the right turn at Western Sizzlin as we went on our merry way to church. Soon after we arrived at church a lady came up to us and told us how God had protected us through that intersection. She didn't see how the truck had missed us. We never knew. Somehow that story has always stuck with me.

How many times have we been traveling down life's hwy, and never seen the Mighty hand of God saving us from destruction? Be it near misses in car accidents, or maybe something much simpler....Maybe you are at your weakest moment in life and you desperately need a touch from God and a friend shows up with a scripture that was just for you in that time of need. He is all around us and He cares for us more than anything.

Yesterday had a scarey moment in it for me. It could've been a moment where I chose from that day forward to never leave the house again in fear. But thank God I don't live in scarey moments. Instead I take from that moment the knowledge He is protecting me. I realize horrible things happen everyday to God's people. And none of us ever know the time or the place that we will take our last breath. All I know is yesterday was not that day, and I praise my maker with all that is within me for this blessed life He has so preciously given me.

Psalm 91:4-6
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.

(Thanks Kerrye for the scripture) ;)