Enjoy the picture:

It is just three birds in flight at sunset, but can't you imagine God smiling through his creation in this once-in-a-lifetime moment when a photographer captured them!

Well, I think He did just that (smiled) the other night as I was driving west bound on I-70 toward Blue Springs!   There have been countless times in my life where there is absolutely no reason short of GOD'S influence and presence that something happened or an event occurred.  13 is a perfect example!  If you remember, two oncologists had nearly bid me adieu after seeing my tumor type and signet rings - whatever that was...but then, the final report came back as a grade 13 - out of 100!  That's enough unheard of and surprised Dr. Shwaiki enough that he called the doctors and spoke to them personally over the phone to make sure this was no error.  He was spellbound with surprise.  I was more than delighted because this meant no chemo for me...but the point was that for some amazingly wonderful reason, God ushered a miracle into my life - I believe so I could tell others about Him! 

Then there was the time I decided to leave Blue Springs school district after Micah was born.  I'd spent all summer interviewing babysitters to stay with her - and well, there just wasn't anyone I was willing to leave her with - so I notified the most amazing principal of all - Linda Johnson - and told her I was going to have to break contract and be a mommy.  Within two hours, I learned that woman had gone to bat for me, secured me a half time position and even gave me the choice of morning or afternoon hours!  Because of her, I was allowed to work 8:30 - 12:30 every day, PLUS keep my health insurance and benefits, PLUS have every afternoon for mommyhood!   Some may say Linda was the blessing - - and I couldn't agree more (she still is, too, by the way) but even before that, I believe with all my heart that GOD PLACED LINDA IN MY LIFE to make decisions like that on my behalf!  God blessed me - THROUGH LINDA!!!   There was no reason, other than Devine intervention and Linda interceding for me, for the district to allow me to change from full time to half time status...but they did and THAT was a miracle.

On top of that, the year Jess started first grade was my personally projected goal of returning to work full time, but I'd been told that I would have to take whatever full time opening was available whenever it became available once I was ready to leave half time work and go back to a full day.  DO YOU KNOW that in August of the very year I WANTED (and prayed about) to go back full time, the husband of the afternoon music teacher got transferred and conveniently opened my full time position!!  COINCIDENCE?  I think not, friend!  In fact, the couple had had no inkling that he would be forced to relocate or lose his job - out of nowhere, they GOT TO MOVE closer to their daughter and grandchildren!  I still see God's hand in THAT!

Anyway, the other night on I-70, I slipped into traffic right behind an 18-wheeler from New Hampshire.  It was right at rush hour - around 4:00ish, but we were east of Blue Springs and headed west, so there wasn't much traffic; however, there WOULD be much traffic once the trucker got into the city.  I counted, time after time after time - at least 20 times - he swerved onto the rumble strips that are on the side of the pavement.  I realize many of us can find ourselves hearing that horrible noise and move back into our lane, but when this driver passed over them, his response was a wild jerk back to the left.  I surmised he was falling asleep and when the noise startled him, he pulled the truck back onto the highway.  Several times he overcorrected enough that he crossed clear over the center line and hit the passing lane!!  I stayed behind, collecting information:  trailer ID number, license plate number, company name, cab identifications, etc. and then grabbed my handy dandy

to dial *55 and automatically reach the highway patrol to report the careless, sleepy, intoxicated, under-the-influence driver of this beast.  But....

it was dead.  (the PHONE, that is!)

I vascillated between just getting off at my exit or following him thru the city - whever he was headed.  I had no clue why I would do that, but I thought I couldn't just go home like this had never been witnessed.  So...guess what I did....

yup - I said, "God - HELP!  This one is ALL YOU because that guy doesn't need to keep going and I can't call and report him to someone who can stop him!"  I didn't say amen, either... I think I said, "I'll talk to ya later...."

I followed the crazy guy who didn't have sense enough to park it, about three miles and then just decided to blow by him and at least try to get a look at the driver's face - to see if he appeared sick or sleepy or something.  I still don't know why - there wasn't anything I could do about it...without my cell phone!  Oh yes, I had my top down, too - ON THE CAR, SILLY!!! and that helped me get an even better view of the ol' guy stormin west.  And just as I got beside him about 7 highway, up ahead almost to Woods Chapel, there was

ALSO cruising westbound!  I FLOORED IT and thanks to my little supercharger, pulled up right beside him, and started mouthing words like a giant dork!  He proceeded to roll down his window and I - - oh am I ever proud of my intelligence - yelled, "ARE YOU A COP?"

"ARE YOU A COP?"  Oh my goodness - cops don't like to be called cops do they?  I didn't mean it disrespectfully, but I was going 70 mph, had a psycho trucker in my rearview mirror, hyper because the phone I needed didn't work, and I was looking at an officer who was also cruising 70 mph - right smack dab beside me and that's all I could think of!!!  Well, THAT and holy COW - GOD just produced a COP!

Folks, out of nowhere, within a minute of prayer - a highway patrolman was radioing ahead to deal with the runaway 18-wheeler  OR WHATEVER IT WAS!  It was so cool - I couldn't wait to get home and share the story...and everyone I told looked at me like, what's the big deal?  It was a patrolman - that's their job - and more interest leveled on the truck driver.  In spite of the general concensus - I KNOW IT WAS A GOD THING!  I felt it!

K - - gonna go eat some din din right now, but I'll be back in a bit and report on how things are going with all the stitches and gunk.

IN HIS GRIP - and really thankful He hears us even without fancy, carefully-chosen words, "AMEN" or "IN JESUS' NAME"  or any of the particular formalities we sometimes get caught up in.

Deb 

   

Comments

[Mary]

DOUBLE WOW!!! As I read this entry, a scene from "It's a Wonderful LIfe" came to mind. Jimmy Stewart's character George Bailey has been given the opportunity to see what life would be like if he had not been born. George and his guardian angel, Clarence, are at the town cememtery where George recognizes his younger brother's name on a headstone...the child's date of death is shown as the very day George had rescued him years before from a frozen pond. George insists that Harry survived that accident, became a fighter pilot, and had just saved a convoy of WWII soldiers. Clarence responds sadly, "The men in that convoy all died. Harry wasn't there to save them because you weren't there to save Harry!" See the parallel with your experience? Can you imagine what kind of tragedy might have unfolded if you hadn't been there to alert the "cop???" It was definitely DIVINE INTERVENTION.....at 70 MPH!!!!!

[Jean]

Wow, Debbie. That WAS a God-incident. Glad it all worked out for the best. Bet that officer had a funny story to tell back at HQ when he got there..."hey everyone you will never believe what happened to me on the road".

The best part of all of your posts...God is at the center.

Hugs and have a great 4th of July.
Jean