Gods Amazing Ways

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.Isaiah 55:8

This verse became very real to me a couple weeks ago when I was out with my children running a few errands.

I had gotten a few checks cashed at the bank then went to the library to drop of some books. I was then going to go to McDonalds drive-thru. It was in the middle of rush hour and the area I was in was very congested. Being stopped at a red light just a short distance from McDonalds I decided to go ahead and get the money ready that I had gotten from the bank. When I reached down to get it it was gone! My first thought was that my daughter had gotten the money caught in the books she took into the library. I started frantically searching, glancing up occasionally to make sure traffic hadn't started to move yet.When I saw the vehicle in front of me was moving foward I let off the brake then looked down again to try once more to find that money. All the while I'm thinking 'why am I not just waiting till I get to the McDonalds parking lot to do this? I'm probably holding up traffic behind me. All of a sudden we came to a jolting halt! I hadn't even realized I was moving! I had simply taken my foot off the brake and had not put it on the gas pedal. (And just for the record I do not have a history of bumping into cars or things!)

I looked up and saw a door fly open.A young lady jumps out and throws her hands up in the air as if to say "WHY did you just do THAT!!?" I had no words. What was I to say? I tried to stammer out an "I'm sorry!" but it sounded kinda lame. I really had no excuse to give for what had just happen.She was obviously very upset and pulling out her phone, began making a phone call. Then came the words that just about stopped my heart. She says,"My mom is in there having a heart attack!" I thought 'No! No, that can't be! I didn't hit them that hard! Please, God, what do I do now?' I then learned they had just come from the local hospital and had been sent to a hospital across the mountain who is better equipped for the bigger emergencies.That's where they were headed. Although that was a small relief since that meant I at least had not caused her heart attack I still couldn't believe it. Of all the vehicles to hit why did it have to be them? I just knew the trauma of the little bump was going to send this lady into a full-fledged heart attack.She was going to die right there and it was going to be my fault.

I don't know if my feeling of devastation showed on my face or what but this dear young lady who was in the middle of her own nightmare all of a sudden gives me a hug and tells me, "It's alright. Things happen for a reason and maybe God wanted her to go by squad instead of us taking her." Now that is grace! I did not deserve that comfort from her! I should been trying to comfort them!

I asked one of the women from the SUV if I could have her phone number to call her the next day to check how her mom was doing then went back to my van to wait for the police.

(To add a little humor to the whole thing I have to tell you a few minutes prior to rear-ending this person I was giving my daughter a speech on defensive driving!)


I wasn't back in my van long when one young women motioned me back out and said her mom wanted to see me. As I was walking to their vehicle I was wondering, what do I say to her? When I got to her she smiled and immediately reached out to give me a hug (more grace).I was standing there holding her hand when a little thought came to me "pray for her". As I thought about it I felt a sense of relief. Since it didn't feel quite right to pray out loud (maybe it was just lack of courage on my part)  I prayed silently for her. I'm not sure exactly what I prayed although I know I said that He(Jesus) had said "Whatever you shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son" (John 14:13) and that I was asking for her healing. I asked that when she got to the hospital doctors would say there had been no heart attack.

The state police showed up and released me with no charges and I took my little crew of children to McDonalds drive-thru like I had originally planned to do. I'm not sure when my money came back into the picture. All I know is when I got into the McDonalds parking lot it was where it was supposed to have been all along.

And that's the end of my little incident.... But wait! It's not quite! This is the part that makes me want to shout for joy and sing praises to my Wonderful, Merciful, Almighty God!! I called one of the daughters the next day and asked her how her mom is doing. These are the words I heard.. "she didn't have a heart attack". SHE DIDNT HAVE A HEART ATTACK !!!! Even now those words are wonderful music to my ears!!

As I looked back on that whole thing I started wondering if there was more to this than I has seen at the time. Did God allow this whole thing to happen this way for a reason? After all, no one was hurt and there was no damage to any vehicles. I had to wonder how many times in the past I've gotten so wrapped up in the fact that I was in the middle of a bad situation that I didn't allow God to do through me what He would have if I would have turned the situation over to Him.

Again I go back to the verse, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD." Isaiah 55:8