When You're Stranded On The Side Of The Road With No Help In Sight
It was an earlier night than usual. Thankful to be leaving the office ahead of schedule, I began to pull down the driveway and head for home. I still had a few minutes before the sun set. It was a warm, yet lovely evening.
I hadn't driven more than a few feet when I realized something was wrong. Instinctively I stopped, got out, and began to walk around my SUV. When I rounded the back corner I noticed it - a flat tire.
It wasn't just a little low on air, it was completely flat.
Weird, I thought. I just drove back from lunch a few hours ago and everything was fine. Now what?
I reached for my phone and dialed. As soon as my husband answered and learned of my distress, he was on his way. When he arrived, he immediately shined his lights on my car so he could see to change the flat tire.
He began to assemble his tools and went to work as the light around us quickly dimmed. He not only changed the tire, he gently walked me step by step through the process, teaching me how to change one, if I were ever in a situation where I needed to.
As the sun finally slid beneath the horizon and the beautiful countryside went dark, we finished up, put on the spare tire, and headed home. He followed me the entire drive home through the winding country roads with their steep embankments. The light from his car was never far behind. What care and protection I felt in that moment.
The next day as I thought through the events of the night before, I suddenly realized, Isn't that the way God is with me? Isn't He always ready to rescue me in my mess, in my need, in my despair?
The moment I call, He doesn't put me on hold, He doesn't ignore my plea. He is always present, always available, always ready to meet me wherever I am, whatever my need.
2 Chronicles 16:9 (NKJV) reminds me that, The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.
He is ever-present for any of His children. He loves us. He waits for opportunities to care for us in the needful moments of our lives, to show Himself strong on our behalf. There is something so comforting and reassuring about resting in someone's strength. About exhaling our weakness and surrendering the weight of our world to someone utterly powerful, and willful, someone muscular, safe, and strong. He is strong.
I love that whenever He comes, He not only comes with strength, He also shines His light brightly wherever He goes, whether He shines it on my circumstances, whether He shines it on my path, or into my heart. His light is ever-present to reveal my pain, to heal my dulled, deep wounds, and to remove my darkest shame.
John 1:5 (NIV) reminds me that, The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
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Isaiah 58:8 (NIV) adds, Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
His light shines into each moment as He guides me, teaches me, grows me up to be more and more like Him. He never leaves me stranded. He never leaves me helpless and unsure. He graciously and lovingly instructs me so that I can be prepared for whatever purpose He is calling me.
I love the end of Isaiah 58:8, when He says, the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Just like my husband following behind me down those dark and winding roads, God, too will always be shining His light, His glory, His protection from behind.
If you feel today that God has lost sight of you, that He's left you stranded and alone, He is waiting. He is present with you. He sees you in your distress. He stands there waiting for you. You can pick up the phone and call. He ran to my rescue, He will run to your rescue, too. He will bind up what is broken and heal what seems wounded to the core.
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Have you called out to Him? Perhaps today is the day you ask Him to come save you from your sin, your pain, your hopelessness. Perhaps there is a struggle so dark and heavy, you feel like it just might swallow you whole.
Here's one thing I know - even when you're stranded on the side of the road and it feels like there's no hope in sight, your healing is just a simple call away.
How has God rescued you in your distress? How has He shined His light and followed you out of a dark place? I'd love to hear!
Blessings,
Lisa
About Lisa
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, author, coffee lover, and wife. My online community lisamurrayonline.com provides a compassionate place in the midst of the stresses and struggles of life. At heart, I am just a Southern girl who loves beautiful things, whether it is the beauty of words found in a deeply moving story, the beauty of a meal cooked with love, the beauty of a cup of coffee with a friend, or the beauty seen in far away landscapes and cultures. I have fallen passionately in love with the journey and believe it is among the most beautiful gifts to embrace and celebrate. While I grew up in the Florida sunshine, I live with my husband just outside Nashville in Franklin, TN.
About Peace for a Lifetime
In my new book, Peace for a Lifetime, I share the keys to cultivating a life that’s deeply rooted, overflowing, and abundant, the fruit of which is peace. Through personal and professional experience as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I've discovered how to take the broken pieces of life and find indestructible peace with herself, God and with others. Through my story and other’s stories you’ll realize that you can experience the life for which you long. You can experience abundance beyond anything you can imagine. You can experience peace, not just for today, not just for tomorrow. You can experience peace —for a lifetime!
Peace for a Lifetime is available on Amazon.com.
Book Trailer: https://vimeo.com/155392891
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