Every morning during the school year it is the same routine. Wake up, wake up kids, start coffee, wake up kids again, then fix breakfast. Then there is that period of time in the morning that the kids are eating, and I am in the background making lunches, guzzling coffee, and fetching the things they have forgotten.
The last 15 minutes before we leave the house is also straight up chaotic! I have tried so hard to not make it so crazy, but it usually turns out the same. Me yelling, the kids grabbing their book bags, and shoes and heading to the car. We drive out of the neighborhood while the kids are still getting strapped in.
Our commute in the morning is about 30 minutes one way. If we don't leave the house at exactly 7:25 am, then we will be 10 minutes late to school because of all the traffic. This particular morning we left at 7:30, so I was trying my hardest to make up for the time.
The light turned red. I inched forward, I knew better… NEVER stop on a railroad track. I am usually so careful. But, I thought, we're running behind, I need to pull up and try to make it through the next light.
That's when the unexpected happened!
The railroad lights started blinking, the bells started ringing. Sheer panic overcame me. The arms of the railroad gate came crashing down ON my car!!
Ya'll I would like to tell you I responded differently. I would like to tell you that I did not panic, that I kept cool, calm and level headed.
Folks…. I FREAKED!
I froze. I tried to backup… but there was a car in my way. I could see the train lights coming around the bend. The conductor was blowing his horn. I unbuckled my seat belt. I looked at my kids, I looked around at the other cars just staring at me. I felt trapped… I felt stuck… I made a bad decision that was going to put my whole family in danger.
That's when, by the grace of God, I managed to get control over my self, and the situation. I still had a few moments before the train was going to hit. I calmly put my car in drive and pulled across the tracks.
It was that easy. There was a big enough space for me to pull through the crossing arms and be safely on the other side. I parked the car in the nearest lot. I was shaking, half crying, and thanking Jesus for His protection!!!
Meanwhile the other cars around me were staring at me like I was a complete idiot!! And I was!
Doesn't this happen all the time. Well, hopefully not literally. But we are constantly getting stopped in the tracks of life. Fear takes over, we complicate things. When we can't go backwards and fix something we have done, we panic. We freeze. Then sweet Jesus comes in and shows us a path that is not complicated. He guides us through the crossing arms to safely rest on the other side.
Thank you Jesus for keeping us safe that day. I learned not only never ever never stop on the train tracks, but also not to look behind me at the past.
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.
2 Samuel 22:3-4
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