Doing Something Stupid
Have you ever done something really stupid and dangerous and came to the brink of disaster that turned out okay?
When we lived in New Orleans, we were about three hours away from the Emerald Coast. The Emerald Coast is the beach area in Florida on the Gulf side near Pensacola. You have to drive that far to get to nice beaches because of the Mississippi River. That river, carries a huge amount of sediment with it (I’ve always described the river as brown). Once the water gets to the Gulf (either America or Mexico, whichever you prefer), the sediment drops as the water slows down. So, all the beaches closer to New Orleans have what I would call two negatives. The first is that the water is cloudy and brown. The second is that you can walk out 100 or 150 feet before the water gets chest high. Therefore, we drove to Destin, Florida to find nice beaches with clear blue water a few times while we lived there.
Because we were either cheap or thrifty, we would leave early in the morning, swim and then drive home all in one day. I do not know about you but being on the beach and in the Ocean is exhausting to me. One of those trips, we started driving home. No offense Mississippi but you have some of the most boring highways to drive that I have experienced. Anyway, we were driving home. Well, by “we” really should be “me,” because my wife and son had fallen asleep fairly quickly in the drive. There is a significant stretch of Mississippi that has trees on both sides of the straight and level road for miles and miles at a time. I was drowsy. I struggled to stay awake… and eventually fell asleep.
Since the highway is straight and level, we traveled a considerable distance before the car drifted towards the shoulder. Hitting the gravel on the shoulder must have woken my wife who screamed the loudest scream that I had ever been awakened by. We pulled over and rested a little and we eventually made it home. I often wonder whose guardian angel prevented what could have been a catastrophe.
“And when the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pushed against the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So he struck her again. Then the angel of the Lord went ahead and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam. And Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you.” And the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way?” And he said, “No.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face. And the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you because your way is perverse before me. The donkey saw me and turned aside before me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, surely just now I would have killed you and let her live.” Then Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you stood in the road against me. Now therefore, if it is evil in your sight, I will turn back.” And the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only the word that I tell you.” So Balaam went on with the princes of Balak.” - Numbers 22:25-35 ESV
“Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge— no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” - Psalm 91:9-16
Thank God he has a plan for me.
