There were periods of heavy rain, flashes of lightning that lit up the night sky and rolls of thunder that at some points were pretty scary.
From the time I got onto I-85 until the time I took my exit to my house, I stayed behind a white SUV. This SUV had on his emergency flashers and maintained a safe speed in the middle lane.
I used this car to guide me home.
He was my pacer. He kept a steady speed and drove safely the entire time.
He remained in a lane where there wasn't a lot of water building up on the side of the road.
Even as cars sped by and trucks were itching to get around him, he maintained a safe and consistent speed throughout the storm.
I started to think about how I've been led through storms in my life in this very same way.
Either God's Spirit, his Word or those he has placed in my life at those times, have served as "pacers" or guides for me:
- God's Spirit within us helps us maintain a steady and safe speed throughout life's storms to let us know that we are safe and ok as long as we continue to follow and trust him. If I hadn't seen how safely the white SUV was driving, I wouldn't have trusted him to lead me.We know that we can trust God because he's proven to us (many times before) that he can be trusted and that in him, we are safe.
- As we read and become grounded in his word, it also serves as a way for us to maintain our pace and make it through the hardships of life. God's word serves as a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path (Psalm 119:105) and helps to guide through WHATEVER life presents.
- God also sends people into our lives with spirits of peace, joy and love who serve as a model to follow and walk with. They are not in a hurry to get through life or "fix" everything that's going on. They realize that there is purpose in everything that we endure and they maintain their love, peace and joy.
I was so happy for this new way of looking of God's goodness and faithfulness towards me.
He always makes a way for me to truly SEE how much he loves me and that even through the "storms" of life, I can look to him to help me pace myself to safety.