Kept Safe
Over the Christmas holidays, Cynthia Cross and her daughter Sue decided to drive the nearly 900-mile journey from Denver, Colorado, to St. Louis, Missouri, to see their extended family. This could be a risky journey at this time of year, they knew, because the weather was unpredictable. But they missed their loved ones. “We’ll bring angels along with us,” Sue said. “They’ll keep us safe!”
The women left early in the morning, with Denver’s temperature hovering at about 10 degrees. By the time they reached Kansas, however, the mercury had dipped to 20 degrees below zero. The women had intended to drive straight through to St. Louis, but as dusk fell, they reconsidered. “I’m really worried about this intense cold,” Cynthia told Sue. “What if something happens to the car? We’ll be stranded on a lonely highway tonight, with no towns or even farmhouses to shelter us.”
Sue knew how sparsely populated Kansas was. “Maybe we should find a motel,” she suggested..
“Maybe, but we’re only a few hours away from St. Louis, and the weather’s bound to be better,” Cynthia said. It was a tough decision, but the women prayed about it, asking God to protect them. They then decided to press on. At 2 a.m., cold, hungry and triumphant, they pulled up in front of Cynthia’s parents’ home.
Their vacation was filled with laughter, love and reminiscing, and Cynthia and Sue were truly sorry when it was time to drive back to Denver. However, the temperature had risen to about thirty-eight degrees in St. Louis, so as they set out, they felt far more confident. “At least going home will be easier than getting here!” they told each other.
Shortly after leaving St. Louis, however, the women drove into a foggy mist, which thickened as they continued. Since it was daytime, they were able to cross most of Missouri without mishap, but as dusk fell and they reached Kansas, both women grew apprehensive. Once again the temperatures were falling, and because of the continuing fog and mist, the roads could easily become icy and treacherous. Again, they considered their options, prayed, and decided to go as far as they could. As darkness blanketed them and they stayed tuned to the car radio, however, they wondered if they had made the right decision. Traffic was so sparse now that in spots, they seemed the only car on the road. And every time a weather bulletin was issued, things sounded worse. “Listen to that,” Sue frowned after one radio report of a road closure. “Isn’t that road at the next town?”
Cynthia looked at the map by the light of a tiny flashlight. “Yes, it is. Maybe we’ll have to stop here.” The town sign loomed ahead, and Sue hit the brakes, bracing for anything. But, oddly, they saw no road closures, and no state troopers flagged them down. Perhaps those difficult driving conditions were somewhere else? The fog and mist continued, so dense they could barely see the road, and the temperature continued to drop. Yet the pavement directly in front of them stayed dry.
Soon, however, they heard another bulletin, this one warning of hazardous ice, right where they were headed. “Now we’re in for it,” Sue murmured, slowing and keeping a close watch on the pavement. Yet…where was the ice? Once again, they passed the danger area with no problem. Despite the freezing mist all around, the road in front of them was dry.
They drove the next several miles in silence. “Mom,” Sue finally spoke. “Are you getting a funny feeling about all of this? As if something just…doesn’t fit?”
“I certainly am,” Cynthia agreed. She knew fog and mist were unpredictable; one area could get icy while just a few miles away, it could be clear. But they had been driving for several hours in the same chancy conditions. And despite the weather warnings, the stretch of road just ahead was always dry and safe. “It’s as if we’re enclosed in a protective envelop,” she said to Sue. Her daughter smiled. “That’s just the way I felt,” she said.
They drove on, thanking God as each mile passed. Just an hour out of Denver, the mist dried up and the clouds parted. “Look,” Sue smiled. “Stars.” The worst was over.
Days later, Cynthia read of the traffic mishaps that occurred all over the route they drove that night. But they had been kept safe. Why? “We’ll never know for sure,” she says. “But didn’t God give His angels charge over us?”
(C) 2002 Joan Wester Anderson www.joanwanderson.com
Related Posts:
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment