Traveling the Rock Road

It was a beautiful day for a mother and daughter to spend time together talking laughing and not giving thought to anything bad happening. They had been at the Indiana State Fair and were now heading home with the daughter driving and mom riding shotgun. They had gotten separated from other family members driving a different car so they pulled into a drugstore parking lot in a small town to sit and wait for the others to catch up. Like I said not a care in the world, that is until they saw a car barreling down on them. Someone was driving fast and erratically out on the road, but had now veered into the parking lot and was heading straight toward our two gals, who had no time to react, not even pray; only brace for an impending impact that could easily be fatal!

The moment was upon them, but instead on a devastating collision the car racing toward them began to slow down dramatically until it came to a stop, just inches from the mom and her daughter. When breath came back to everyone involved the woman driving the oncoming vehicle rolled down her window and asked if they were alright. “Yes, we’re alright,” came an excited response from the daughter, “What were you doing?” With hardly a hesitation the woman responded, “I was trying to kill myself.”

Now there come moments in life when there is no good retort or reply to statements that might be made to us, and someone telling you they were trying to kill themselves definitely falls into that category. I suppose they could have said “Well thank God you didn’t” or “Next time how about picking a target that doesn’t involve other people!” then hightail it out of there to get as far from this gal as possible. But the mother had other ideas that she was being led to follow. Without hesitation she got out walked over and climbed into the passenger seat of someone she didn’t know and who frankly could still do something irrational. But the mother held a belief, rather a faith that told her she needed to go to this woman and see what she could do to help. She based this faith on words such as;

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

It was only a matter of seconds before this distraught soul was pouring out her heart telling the mother all the pressures and problems she was experiencing that led her to believe there was no reason to continue on. When she finished the mother gave her reasons of why her life was important, and how much God loved her. They parted with a prayer and exchange of telephone numbers so they could stay in touch.

“Well I’m certainly glad God brought us together” the mother told her new friend and then “and that you were able to get your car stopped in time.” The woman looked at her and said, “That’s one of the funniest things, I don’t ever remember hitting the brake.”

You don’t have to agree with me, but I got a feeling someone had a ton of angels dragging that car to a halt! This lady had an idea of giving up everything, but God had a plan for her to gain so much more with the aide of one of His agents, one of His servants.

1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect”

On a beautiful sunshiny day two “Travelers of the Rock Road” came together unexpectedly; one who saw no hope left in life, and one prepared to show that best part of life was still waiting for the other to see and accept.

I guess the question now is which traveler are you, the one looking for hope and life, or the one who holds answers to those questions?  If you’re the latter then all I can say is stay ready; you just never know who God is going to send barreling your way!

See ya next time!