When I agreed to move our family from Texas, where I was born and raised, to Indiana where my husband was born and raised, he promised he would see that I made it home every year for a visit…and he kept that promise for 25 years. A few times we stayed at home due to finances or obligations here, but for the most part, every second weekend in July we’d load up the kids and all our stuff and drive the 1,243 miles to the Lone Star State.
Much prayer went into every trip and God’s protection was right on. We had a few flat tires, broken belts and some over heated radiators along the way, but help was always there when needed.
One of the longest stretches of highway is on Interstate 40 between Oklahoma City and Amarillo Texas…that’s where the radiator blew. Our bright red car with smoke spewing from it’s raised hood seemed invisible to the other travelers speeding on past us. We used the water from my drinking jug and from melted ice in the cooler, but it wasn’t enough for the panting engine. Jim worked diligently and I prayed while the three kids asked, “What are we going to do?”
Just when we were all about ready to give up and cry, a Texas Highway truck pulled up behind us…with water on board! They filled the radiator, which had cooled down by now, and we thanked them profusely. This would get us to the next town for needed repair and back on the road. The man smiled and said, “That’s exactly why we’re out here, to help the one’s who need us. It’s a long, dry stretch through here.” I had never been so proud of my home state as we climbed back into the car. I whispered a prayer of thanks as we continued our journey home.
There were several years when Jim was unable to take the trip with us because he had to work, so the kids and I traveled anyway. One such time our youngest daughter, Rachel, had just gotten her license so she was driving. All of a sudden, the car in front of us came to a stop. Rachel hit the brakes and we stopped also…just in time. Then we felt a bump as the car behind us rammed our bumper. I was crammed into the back seat, so my 15 year-old son got out to access the damage along with the other driver. Traffic was stalled anyway by this time and the only damage was to the light bulb above our license plate.
Rachel was upset, so her sister took the wheel while I calmed her down. “Why do things have to happen when I’m driving?” Rachel cried.
I tried to think quickly as God gave me the words. “You did everything just right” I told her. “Just think about it, had you stopped any later, we would have hit the car in front of us… and had you been a second sooner, the car behind would have hit us a lot harder than he did. As it is, we have a broken light bulb that can be replaced and no one was hurt. God timed it just right and your driving was perfect.”
Since we’ve gotten older the trips to Texas have gotten fewer. It’s been four years since we’ve seen that long dry stretch of highway, but there have been plenty of other dry times when God has protected and seen us through. If you are facing a long dry stretch in your life right now, be it due to finances, illness or whatever, reach out to Him and know that on our journey home, “God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46: 1
And His timing is always perfect.
