Friday, April 17, 2015

My miracle of the winds in Kansas

Ok, I told you before that when we travel cross-country, Josh really does the bulk of the driving.  It works well for everyone that way.  

However, there are times when he needs a break for a few hours.  And when that happens, I climb into the driver's seat and off we go.


However, let it be know that I am not quite as confident a driver as Josh is.  Not that I am not highly capable (no, I don't get in accidents or earn tickets or anything of the like) but Josh is just more relaxed during his driving experience than I am.

For example, when there are high winds or dense snow or pounding rain we normally let Josh manage the vehicle because he stays more calm than I do...I get overly focused and tense about safety and such.

Anyway, on the way home from Branson Josh needed a break (and a nap) for a few hours.  So, into the hot spot I lumbered.

I started driving just after we entered Kansas.  We were slated to drive East to West across the entire width of the state.  Well, being Utahans uber flat and empty Kansas was a new sort of scenery to us.  

And all that flat invites wind.  
Lots of wind.  

Not little puffs of friendly breeze, but angry gusts that swathed the road.  These near constant (but highly unpredictable) mini-squalls worked to push our fairly large car out of our lane and sometimes off the side of the road.  In fact, the wind was such that a thick cloud of dust covered the skyline leaving it clothed in a grey-purple haze and drawn tightly around the edges of the scene.  There was no lovely view of the distant horizon.  To me, it was nerve-wracking. 

And that meant I was on edge.

But, there was nothing to be done.  Someone had to drive the car, Josh NEEDED some rest, and that left me to manage things.  On my own.

But not really.
Requiring some extra help, I turned to the best support available -- my Father in Heaven.

A simple prayer tumbled from my mind toward Heaven quietly begging for aid in driving and peace of mind to help me do what needed to be done.  Then, I focused on keeping the car between the painted lines on the highway. 

And then, suddenly it had been three hours. Josh woke up and I was happily singing along to whatever podunk radio station I could find.

And that was that.

Seriously, I uttered a silent prayer, and immediately God stepped in to help me.  He quieted my turmoiled mind and kept me from over-focusing on the pressing issue at hand.

I know that I continued to adjust and compensate for the push of the winds.  I know that my body handled the gusts and kept the car exactly where it needed to be.  But suddenly I wasn't thinking of any of that at all.  Suddenly, I was so caught up in music and pointing out interesting sites to my kidlets that it wasn't until Josh woke up and asked me if I was ok in all this wind that I realized I hadn't really registered the force blowing on us for several hours.

It may be a small thing.  It may seem silly and trite.

But it wasn't to me.

To me, it was a reminder of a Heavenly Father who cares about His children and who takes a keen interest in their needs and weaknesses.  He may not always remove the winds that surround us, but He will always help us through them if we trust Him.

It turned out to be a lovely drive.


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