- Photo Credit, NOAA
For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. Isaiah 41:13
And He did. First, one bright evening star and then two more, and then - the moon. The storm clouds rolled away to expose the glory of the night heavens and to reveal an answer to fervent prayer. “Fear not; I will help thee.” And He did.
The desire of a young man to spend extra time alone with his father came sooner than planned and necessitated an unexpected road trip, one we have made for the last fifteen years meeting half way between our homes. Once down to the lowlands, we would take the Interstate route so familiar to us. It stretches from sea to shining sea and encompasses a good portion of tornado alley. As a good retired Pathfinder, a check of the weather was done and our lunch was packed. We hit the road at noon to meet up with “father” by early evening. It was uneventful, routine as usual. We met and I delivered my precious cargo to father’s waiting arms. It is always a joyous reunion to observe – a fifteen year-old now taller and more robust than all of us. With the handoff, the first leg of the annual trek had been completed and “home” was the next destination.
It was Sabbath and I had three CDs in the glove box. As much as they had been played and replayed, I was not ready to hear them again, not just yet, so I turned on Weatherband1 for company. “A strong line of thunderstorms are in the area with potential for damaging winds, softball-size hail and possible tornadoes” were on tap for the Interstate I had to retrace. They had been building in the west as we traveled east. We didn't notice them.
The sun was quickly covered with dark grey clouds. I was into the second hour of travel homeward. The rains began and then the winds. The next town was fifteen miles away: “Lord, guide me safely to cover until the storm passes over.” And He did. The huge truck stop was packed with cars, trucks, motor homes and I had to quickly park and get inside. The winds were already shaking the car, whipping it from side to side. The lightning and rains were as heavy as I had seen in my long lifetime. Grabbing my purse, I stepped out into the torrent of rain, wind and lightning and ran to the door. Standing under the full force of a bathroom shower for five minutes could not have deemed me any more soaked than I was during that sprint for cover. But I was only the latest person to experience this, for inside stood 50 to 75 people in the same condition. We waited for word on the weather when an employee of the truck stop announced a tornado ten miles north of our location is “headed our way. Take cover in the coolers or the shower bathrooms.” Some of us did, some did not. Standing in a cooler with wet clothes on was not too appealing, even though it could have helped save lives, so the inner rooms of the showers slowly filled. The majority of the people did the very thing we are warned not to do, they stood looking out of large glass windows and doors. My thoughts turned to the Bible and the warnings given therein. Who will heed the warnings?
We had a mass of humanity huddled there. Observations: mothers with small children, grandmothers, and men of all varieties. Young mothers whose breasts were so laid bare that one move could have caused them to full exposure at any moment, and why would I notice? Embarrassment. I internally took the shame for them and looked away while a particular woman caught my immediate attention, a Mormon. She was wearing their standard dress. It was yellow, high necked, long-sleeved and to the ankle. She was beautiful in her simplicity. Her hair was just as distinctive. She was “peculiar” among us and the picture of calm. I thought to myself, “I am the Seventh-day Adventist. Peculiar is my declared label in thought and expression, yet this woman’s very presence and demeanor, from outward appearances, had me trumped by a thousand yards." I noted it and squirmed at the idea. “Lord, help me be a better visual witness.” Gazing stalk crossed my mind, but the Lord knew exactly what I meant. There was no need to get into that. And of course, my appearance was not like everyone else’s, but it still fell short of the true ideal and far short of the Morman’s who took it to heart. Just an observation and internal reprimand most women make but never speak of.
Time passed. The better part of an hour did not produce the possible destruction we awaited. Slowly, people began to disperse to check the skies. One by one they left. The radar showed heavy rains behind the storm but with it was an interlude I needed to take advantage of, so I crept out and off to the next town that would bring me closer to home. It was just then when hail and high winds reappeared and I stopped under an overpass with many other cars. We waited for close to another hour when I saw something in the two-o’clock position. A star. We were in a location where towers and antennas dot mountain tops and it caused me to think that was the source of the light, yet it never blinked. It was constant and did not move. Then to the left was an emerging light. It was the moon! And then two other stars joined the first one on the right! “Father, Son and Holy Ghost.” What a representation they made in my mind as I was trying to comprehend what was happening. Oh the thoughts of an old woman waiting for deliverance.
“Fear not; I will help thee,” Isaiah wrote God's message thousands of years ago, yet it was Psalm 103 that I began to recite. That beloved Psalm that has brought comfort to millions in a myriad of situations saturated my thoughts. Then came Matthew 11:28, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. His stars and His moon brought it home and produced an experience. In my solitude, His promises removed all fear of any kind.
Two hundred miles of road yet lay before me and the way was cleared. It was as if the stars and moon stood still and remained in constant position just as they were under the overpass when I first saw them. I turned and wove my way toward home, changing directions many times, yet there they were – still there. And another thing did not escape my notice – home was north. The Bible makes many references to God as being “in the north.” I was going in the right direction.
Weatherband1 was still reporting dangerous weather directly ahead of my path but the skies to the north were clear. The three stars and the moon were brightly shining while I cruised along those long stretches of mountain roads with songs of gratitude in my heart. At one point WB1 mentioned the very name of the little valley in which I live as receiving the brunt of the series of storm cells, tornadoes and all. How could that be when the skies are clear? Will home still be there? Will I have a roof, a bed, a cup or saucer? Again, thoughts of an old woman who had been delivered but was not quite home.
Incremental deliverance is faith building. Evidence of His guidance shores us up to keep on going because His promises are true. It is day by day, moment by moment. He gives us what we need when we need it. He was there while we stood as a huddled mass packed into shower stalls. He was there when I hit the road to go a little further in the face of dark clouds, winds, rain and hail. He was there waiting to show Himself while we waited at the overpass as high winds shook the cars with a vengeance. So, whatever befalls my vision upon turning into my driveway will bring with it strength from heaven to face it.
“Fear not; I will help thee.”
Yes, Lord.
The last ten miles are always the longest. Why so? Our longing for home has with it the cumulative experiences of the long trip. We are battle worn and exceedingly weary even in the midst of incremental deliverance that brings us joy untold at each mark. Home cannot come soon enough, yet each of those miles and minutes are necessary for the required experience to be able to stand before men and angels, to say nothing of standing before the most holy God. "We joy in our tribulations." It is a hard saying except as we understand where tribulations lead us in that experience. Do we fully understand or are we yet that dense? May the Lord have mercy as we appeal to heaven to give us a deeper experience, as painful as it is.
When He gives us a bitter draught to drink, He also holds a cup of blessing to our lips. He fills the heart with submission, with joy and peace in believing, and enables us to say submissively, Not my will, but Thy will, O Lord, be done (Letter 65a, 1894).
Home was in tact. Thank you, Lord. Bean poles were strewn and among other things, neighbors’ skylights were blown out. The answering machine was full of concerned messages that I promptly returned even at that late hour.
It was at midnight when full deliverance was given. We are familiar with that prophetic time reference. GC 636.2 Its representation did not go unnoticed when I looked at the clock. It was mine for that day - yesterday, Sabbath, June 7, 2014. Today will bring blessings afresh because of a deeper experience that was needed yesterday.
Yes, Lord.
Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find, to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He Whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what He deems best—
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.
Every day, the Lord Himself is near me
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear, and cheer me,
He Whose Name is Counselor and Pow’r.
The protection of His child and treasure
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
“As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,”
This the pledge to me He made.
Help me then in every tribulation
So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation
Offered me within Thy holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
E’er to take, as from a father’s hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till I reach the promised land.
-Karolina W. Sandell-Berg, 1865
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