Maint Reqd

It was several years ago that I was making the drive from my home in Springfield, Missouri to the State Fair two hours away to sit at a booth for work and hand out literature. A friend and coworker was also going and was asleep in the passenger seat as I drove up US-65. We were traveling at a speed of 65- 70 mph.

As I was driving and checking the mirrors a movement caught my eye near the passenger side mirror. It was my tire! I actually saw it bounce next to the car and then into the air and off the side of the road. This is one of those slow motion instances and I remember immediately going into prayer silently. There was no abrupt drop, no loud noise, no jerk, nothing. I slowly braked and steered the car which responded as usual, to the shoulder, stopped and turned on the flashers When the car stopped, she stirred and said, “what’s going on, why are we stopped?” I said, “we’ve lost a tire.” She got out of the car and looked at the front of the car. She looked at me and her eyes were as big as saucers and she said, “The tire is gone!” I realized that she thought it had just gone flat, I said, “yes, I know.” She reemphasized, “You don’t understand- it has come off and it’s gone.” Again, I said, “yes, I saw it bounce, it went off the road back a ways.” Then she said, “I don’t think you understand, we should be dead.” “How did you get the car stopped, it should have flipped!” I looked at her and said, “I prayed and God sent angels to hold it up until I stopped.”

It was something that I will always believe, that God sent angels, it was a moment of calm because even though I saw the tire bounce away, there was nothing that made it seem like an urgent or frightful experience, there was only peace and stillness.

Have you ever had a similar experience?

If God could be there at the exact second that I called for Him, and before that even, to protect me in that moment, why do I keep trying to handle everything in my life without calling to Him?

This was something that I would have never forseen happening to give it any thought on how I might react, but I will think about something that might possibly happen and spend hours and even give up sleep to look at it from every angle and all of the different ways that a conversation could happen and how I should respond. As a way to stop myself, I will say out loud (yes people do look at me like I’m crazy)but I will just say, “Stop Scripting!” This may seem like something silly, but it really does force me to stop, look at what I am doing and then remember, that God wants to take all of this from me.

The Bible tells me that He cares for me.

In Luke 22:27c He says- But I am here with you as One Who cares for you. (NIV)

And in 1 Peter 5:7, Give all your worries to Him because He cares for you. (NIV)

I could tell a few stories where I have seen God directly make a way for me, protect me, or bring me a gift. Why do I constantly insist on carrying the load that He has offered many times to carry for me?

He not only gave me life but in this situation in the car, He saved my life, has He not earned my trust?

Lord- Please help me to lean on You. To trust that You know what is best for me. To let go of any anxiety that I have, and to give each situation and the outcome of each, to You. I believe that You control all things and that you want for me what will bring glory to You. Help me to give my thoughts to You and not to let this be something that I disregard as unimportant . For where I am not diligent and watchful, Satan will come and attack. Over and over You show your love for me. May I show You love and trust in this area. Amen

Proverbs 25:28 (NIV)

A man who cannot rule his own spirit is like a city whose walls are broken down.

Matthew 11:30 (NIV)

For My way of carrying a load is easy and My load is not heavy.