From White Knuckles to Praise
It was a dark and stormy day. The clouds were low and unloading a torrent of
rain as I drove home from the city. It wasn’t quite time to be driving with
headlights on, but all the vehicles around me were, because of the poor
visibility. I drove with both hands on the wheel and was soon feeling the
tension in my back and neck. It was going to be along ride home so I decided I
needed a little company. I popped a CD into the player. I picked one I purchased
at a conference a few months ago. The singer, Ali Matthews, was part of the
entertainment one night and she had impressed me with the clarity of her voice
and the lyrics of her songs.
It wasn’t long before I was singing along with her – singing songs of praise,
songs about God’s amazing care for us. It wasn’t long before my car felt like a
comfortable cocoon. I was warm, dry and safe inside as I sensed God’s presence
with me, right there in the middle of that dark and stormy day as trucks
whooshed by in sprays of water, obliterating my view of the road. As I pulled
onto the exit ramp into my home town about an hour later, I realized what a
difference that music had made. My grip on the steering wheel had relaxed; my
neck and back were no longer stiff. And my mind was not focused on the storm,
but on the glory of a loving God who is with us all, no matter our
circumstances.
The Prophet Isaiah recorded God’s promise to us – “Fear not. For I have redeemed
you; I have called you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep
over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames
will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel,
your savior;” (Isaiah 43:1-3).
Even on a dark and stormy day - or night - we can know that God is with us, that
He will take us through any circumstance this world can throw at us. All we have
to do is remember to focus on Him, lean on Him, cry out to Him. He’s always
there, just waiting to respond.
Marcia Lee Laycock Marcia@vinemarc.com