Friends
Has the weather interfered with your travel plans lately?
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“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.”
Psalm 40:1 – NIV
Sometimes it’s time to go. Sometimes it’s time to stay. Sometimes you really want to go, but circumstances beyond your control force you to stay. That’s what happened to us last Thursday.
It was the tail end of an eleven day road trip when we rolled up to the KOA campground in Harrisonburg, VA for a one night stop. The plan was to travel home the next morning, but Hurricane Debbie had other ideas.
It had been another of those awesome Sherer family adventures with a family reunion time in West Virginia, and then a journey to Ann Arbor, Michigan to see the Henry Ford Museum. Our son Jonathan and his lovely young lady Jocelyn had traveled with us, and we spent an incredible weekend touring the museum complex. We had not paid any attention to the Southeastern weather conditions until we rolled into a quiet Pennsylvania state park on our journey toward home. A camping neighbor’s chance comment made us pull up the weather report, and there it was…Hurricane Debbie.
Scanning the path of the hurricane, we realized that the storm was scheduled to strike North Carolina on Thursday. Did I mention we were scheduled to arrive home on Thursday? Whoops! That ain’t good! There we were in Pennsylvania, RV in tow, and hurricane winds and rain were looming on the horizon.
By the time we rolled into Harrisonburg on Wednesday afternoon, it was clear that travel conditions on Thursday would be hazardous, especially pulling a fifth wheel RV. Now what to do? Should we stay, or should we go?
Have you ever struggled over a decision ? Have you ever battled with uncertainty? Of course, you have. We all have been faced with circumstances that left us wondering what is the right thing to do.
I can recall so many times in my life when I struggled over the right decision. Which school should I choose? Should I take that job? Should we make the move? Should I follow the doctor’s advice and retire? Oh my, so many times on my knees praying hard, paralyzed with fear over making the wrong choice. Lord, could you just write “Yes” or “No” on a billboard?
Looking back, there were times when I felt assured of the yes or no answer to my weighty decisions, but now I reflect that there were many more times when the answer was “Wait.” Yes, wait. Stay put and wait. I did not receive that clear answer I wanted, but instead The lord nudged me to wait. Wait for Him to work it out. Wait for Him to show me a sign. Wait for Him to lead me to the right conversation, the right information that would help me make the right choice. Many times, God answered my prayer for discernment through the wise counsel of my father. Other times, clarity came from a conversation with a good friend. Yet, more often than not, I was led to the answer by that strong, soul-deep feeling I couldn’t escape, that clear and certain nudge of the Holy Spirit.
As much as I yearned for it, I have never received my billboard ad. I bet you haven’t either. God’s answers to our prayers for direction seem to take a much more subtle form. Yet, subtle or not, it has been my experience that the answer does come. It comes when we keep our minds and hearts open to His leading, when we keep our souls in our listening mode. In the meantime, we have to squelch our impulse to go, and instead, stay and wait.
On Wednesday evening, Eric and I looked at the storm tracker predictions and made the choice to stay. Although we really wanted to go ahead and get home on Thursday as planned, we decided to stay and wait out the storm. During the day on Thursday, things were quiet in Harrisonburg. Just a little misty rain. Did we make the right choice?
I had my answer when the heavens opened up, and the rain began pounding the RV roof. Furthermore, news from North Carolina confirmed high winds, driving rain, and flooding. We had made the right choice to stay and wait out the storm. By mid-morning Friday, the sun was shining, and we headed for home without difficulty.
It’s in our nature to want instantaneous answers to the problems we face, but it strikes me that God is not in the habit of hurrying. So often, we want to rush to a decision, but God wants us to trust Him to work it out, and in His timing, not ours. Yes, those pelting rain drops on the RV roof reminded me of an important truth. No matter how much I want to hurry up and go, sometimes God wants me to simply stay and wait.
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“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.”
Psalm 143:8 – NIV
PRAYER
O Faithful Lord, thank You for keeping us safe from harm and protected during life’s storms. Help us to turn to You with all our decisions,listening carefully to Your leading. Show us the way to go, and also when to stay and wait.
In the Merciful Name of Jesus, we pray,
Amen
Blessings,
Anita
-APS 8/12/2024
Faith Beyond Sight 