There is never a warning to prepare you ahead of time. In the movies the music becomes ominous, the camera angles become tighter and as a result your whole body tenses up in anticipation of what is about to happen. But in reality the day starts like any other day. The alarm clock sounds just the same. You follow the same daily routine. There is no music – no indication that this day is any different from any other day or that you are about to live through an experience that is going to etch this day and this time in your heart and memory for all time. There is no warning that with one tick of the clock your life and the lives of those you love will change. You would think 51 years of living, 31 years of marriage, and raising 4 kids would have me perpetually prepared for anything; however, I found out this week nothing could be further from the truth.
Tuesday morning I kissed my husband goodbye and watched longingly as his tailgate disappeared down the block and around the corner. He has traveled most of our married life yet I never get used to telling him goodbye when he leaves for a business trip. Little did I know as I turned and went back into the house with the dog that this was one of THOSE days that I would never forget.
That afternoon I noticed on FaceBook that several people were asking for prayers for friends and family in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. I lifted them up in prayer not realizing that at that very moment my own husband was landing at Love Field. Five minutes later not five miles away a tornado touched down, tossing semis through the air and causing massive destruction. Yes, he was in the air with tornadic activity all around him. It is only by the hand of God that his plane landed safely under those conditions. It is only by the hand of God that my husband returned home unscathed two days later. I have no doubt whatsoever. I give Him all the praise and all the glory!!!
Once again it was one of THOSE days that I was not prepared for – that take you by surprise and rock your world to its very core. It was almost a year ago that I sat and watched on television as a huge tornado ripped through Tuscaloosa, Alabama causing massive devastation, knowing that my daughter and her boyfriend were right there in its path yet I was helpless to do anything to protect them. It was almost eleven years ago that I sat and watched the airplanes hit the Twin Towers, knowing my husband was at that very moment in an airplane in the northeast part of the country. Again – helpless. It was twenty-five years ago that I lay and watched an ultrasound monitor as a technician tried in vain to find my baby’s heartbeat. Again – helpless. It was seven years ago that I stood and looked at a totally demolished car, awestruck that the only part of the car not damaged was the driver’s seat. After rolling twice it looked as if the hand of God was literally cupped over her to protect her. She walked away with one cut.
I could go on and on listing THOSE days, but I think the most important thing to do here is to look at how I can prepare for the next one of THOSE days.
First, there will be THOSE days, and I never know when they will be. I may be surprised by them, but God is not.
Second, it is important that I surround my family with prayer every day. I am powerless to protect them from the evils of this world. I cannot be there with each and every one of them and stop bad things from happening. Even if I could find some way to clone myself and be with each one of them at the same time, I can’t protect them from everything life throws at them. The best thing I can do for them is to place them in God’s hands. He loves them even more than I do; He knows everything; and He is in control.
Third, I must accept that as intelligent as I may think I am, I cannot understand God’s thoughts or His ways. Sometimes I have to just have faith and believe in Him even when I don’t understand what is going on. Again, He is in control.
Fourth, my family and I are not the only ones affected by some of THESE days. I praise God that He is there for us, loving us, caring for us, protecting us, holding us up, guiding us, giving us strength – but there are so many others that have experienced THESE days along with us. My heart breaks this morning as I think about those who have walked through these events without God. I must reach out to them!
Fifth, my relationship with God is so much more than just calling out to Him in troubled times. It is an intimate relationship that I nurture and enjoy on a continual basis. He loves me all the time! He loves my family all the time! He is there all the time!
We live in a fallen world. It is inevitable there will be THOSE days. But we serve a risen Lord who has already conquered this world. This is no guarantee we will not experience pain and sorrow. It is a guarantee that He is with us for all THOSE days – and all the days in between!
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