By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.

~Exodus 13:21 NIV~

Something happened to me up there.  I was driving and we suddenly hit some really bad, completely unexpected weather.  I am actually terrified of driving in the snow.  Anyone who knows me has probably heard me talk about the wreck that my family had in Arkansas where we nearly died.  So, being on the side of a mountain and seeing a whopper of a snowstorm set in; I was a bit terrified.

I slowed down and sent up silent prayers for God to help me do this.  I had already prayed for protection before we set out, but I needed a little reassurance. My sister, the navigator, told me everything was cool, and we proceeded to drive through it.  Little had I known going in that it would be another five hours before we would be done with this challenge.

All the way through, I was asking God, “Please let me be done with this.”  But God is funny.  He just kept introducing new challenges.   How about some rain?  A few steep grades? Would you care for some darkness? Tunnels for your claustrophobia? He threw it all in just for good measure.  And then He started really messing with me; He kicked in with the reassurance and He led me right out of all of it.

He started using the music on our playlist to tell me I was okay.  I had barely been paying attention when my sister said, “Did you hear what she just said?”  It was Lauren Daigle’s “Trust in You.”  Of course, she had said, “When You don’t move the mountains, I’m needing You to move.”  I laughed to myself because this is what He does with me.  I panic and He jokes with me. Hearing those words made me smile, so I pressed on.

As we approached one area, there was an accident.  I had been starting to grow weary again because it seemed like we would never be done with this mountain.  Passing the accident, I saw the car lying on its top and I worried that we just were not going to make it.  And then God, being the awesome protector that He is, sent three salt trucks out right in front of me.  I let them into the lane and thanked Him for giving me this guide to follow.  We continued driving down through the rain and snow behind this group of salt trucks and I didn’t move ahead until they exited the road nearly an hour later.

At one point, another song played, “Speak Life,” by TobyMac.  He spoke of moving mountains and of speaking life to the “deadest, darkest night.”  I needed to hear this as I moved ahead into the darkness.  And on down the road, Kansas sang, “Carry on My Wayward Son.”  Ironic as I had been saying, “Okay, God.  Are we done yet?”

God speaks to us in so many ways.  Up on the side of the mountain, I saw His glory in so much of what I witnessed.   Just as surely as James, Peter, and John were taken up to see His transfiguration, He showed me who He was yesterday.  And I so needed to see it.

I had been so stressed and full of anxiety for weeks that I hadn’t even wanted to make the trip.  But today, even with the trials of yesterday, I am excited for what lies ahead on this journey.  What else will He show me about myself?  How else will He wrap His mighty arms around me and show me He loves me?  He does it every minute of every day, but we often don’t even realize He is right there. It takes the struggle for us to truly see Him and to understand all that He does for us.

So, we be heading out again soon. On to the next adventure.  Just me, my family, and our God.  Going out in search of everything He wants us to see.  Playlist tuned in.  Courage set at 100%. Ready to be amazed and uplifted by the magnificent work of a God who never takes a vacation.  I really wish you were here. ❤

The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to where it sets.

~Psalm 50:1 NIV~

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