Wake Up, It's Time To Pray

           I had never seen such rain!  Even in the 10 years I had lived in Florida, I had not seen such a drenching. Now I stood in an Illinois doctor’s waiting room staring out the window hoping to see a break in the weather. 

            “Mommy, can we go home now?” Janae, my three year-old wanted to know.

            “Honey, I’m waiting for the rain to quit so you and sissy won’t get wet,” I replied vaguely, still looking out the window.

Suddenly, I saw a big black snake slither across the parking lot. I have heard the old expression “raining cats and dogs” but never snakes!  I guess even snakes know when to hightail it out of the rain.

I glanced at my watch. Well, there’s nothing left to do but go ahead and get wet – I have to get home. My oldest daughter will be coming home on the bus soon and she will be afraid to be in the house by herself during a storm.

First, I dug my keys and umbrella out of the diaper bag and then slung it over my shoulder. Next, I picked up Lia, my 18 month-old baby, and balanced her on my left hip. Then I picked up Janae and placed her on my right hip.

“Janae, I’m going to let you hold the umbrella.  Try to hold it over all three of us while I walk us to the car,” I instructed. As I sloshed through the parking lot, I was wondering how I’d get both of them in the car and into their car-seats without drowning them.

Later, as I drove shivering out of the parking lot, I congratulated myself on managing to get them buckled in with their clothes relatively dry. The back of my shirt and the hems of my jeans were a different story!

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The rain continued to fall and high winds whistled around the car. The road was barely visible as I eased down the road towards the little town where we lived. I had 15 miles to go.  The baby fell asleep immediately. Janae quietly looked out the window sensing my nervousness and desire not to talk.

As I drove, I whispered the name of Jesus over and over. I would be so glad to get home. Suddenly, looming right in front of me was a tree lying across the road. “Oh!” I cried as I slammed on the brakes with all my might. The car slid to a stop barely a foot away from the tree. Thankfully, there was no one behind us.

“What is it, Mommy, what happened?” Janae asked in a trembling voice.

“It’s OK, sweetheart, there was a tree that had fallen in the middle of the road. Jesus helped me stop the car before I hit it.”

Janae reached over and shook her sleeping baby sister, “Wake up, Lia, it’s time to pray!”

As we prayed and thanked God for taking care of us and asked Him to help us make it home safely, the thought ran through my mind that all I had to do was speak that wonderful name of Jesus. He knew the tree was there. He knew the need before I could even articulate it.  Isaiah tells us that “Before they call, I will answer” (Isaiah 65:24) 

           Later, it occurred to me to be thankful that I waited as long as I did to start home.  What if I had left just a little bit earlier and was on the road right when the tree fell?  That tree could have connected with my car - it could have crushed my babies! This was just another example of God working in my life, orchestrating details that I didn't even know, keeping me out of danger that I didn't know existed.

            He's awesome like that!

This story happened 17 years ago, but I think it is a perfect example to share at Jennifer's blog party, "God Bumps and God-Incidences."  You can join in by going to her blog, "Getting Down With Jesus."