I love the holiday season. It’s a time for gratitude and thanksgiving for the blessings of the year. It also prompts reflection on the remarkable reality of Jesus Christ. Even for those who do not believe in Him, it’s undeniable that He was and remains a historical figure. Jesus came to earth to save humanity. Jesus is very real to me. Last month, the reality of this sank in deeper because of God’s protection and love for my husband.
My husband drives large semi-trailer trucks for his job. He is very capable at what he does and enjoys driving all around the Northeast. We generally speak several times a day, and he keeps me posted on his excursions and whereabouts. This particular evening, the day before Thanksgiving, we spoke, and he said he planned to arrive home around 10 p.m. I added more logs to the wood stove and cuddled up in my favorite chair, watching the flames and getting warm as I waited for him to come home. I may even have had a hot drink while I waited.
10 p.m. came and went. I wasn’t worried. I’ve learned to leave all my concerns with the Lord, and I don’t usually think the worst. Finally, after 11 p.m., my husband called with an interesting story about his delay.
He had picked up a load for delivery that day after Thanksgiving, since he wouldn’t be working on the actual holiday. He had spent most of the week in Rhode Island. He was about an hour and a half away from home when he thought he smelled something, but didn’t think much of it. He noticed people on the interstate trying to get his attention. A young man persistently kept up with him and signaled him to get off the highway because his semi-trailer truck’s rear passenger brakes were on fire!!!
My husband went about a mile and got off at the very next exit. He pulled into a BOCES education center with a large parking lot for safety. The young man followed close behind, and when my husband exited his trailer, sure enough, the back brakes were on fire!
The real miracle was that, where he pulled over, there was a fire station directly across the street from where he parked. As he exited the truck, firemen immediately ran toward him to put out the fire! My husband wondered whether the young man had called 911 from the interstate or whether they were just outside, watching as he approached. We may never know, but God does!
The fire was extinguished, and the products in the trailer were unharmed. He left the trailer and drove his semi-truck home by around midnight. He was safe and sound, and the company repaired the brakes, allowing him to resume the delivery in a few days.
I was extra thankful on that holiday. Truly, God protects us. His word says that “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them” (Psalm 34:7 KJV). Psalm 91:11 (KJV) reminds us, “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.” These promises are my forever-comforting thoughts. In all situations in my life and in the lives of those I love, God can be trusted. He is our protection.
Call to Action
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)
