Winter has been wintering this year!

It’s been snowy, we’ve had some ice storms, school cancellations, 2 hour delays, the whole shabang. While it’s certainly been beautiful, our roads, at times, have been atrocious.

We had a 2 hour delay one day after having a week or so off. My dad had been working from home due to the weather as well since he commutes a bit. The day the kids went back, so did he.

I opened my phone that morning and saw this message from him:

Messages like this are not out of character for him- he’s such an incredible dad. Since he leaves early, he’ll sometimes send messages like this to give our family a heads up on what to expect. I replied “will do… love you lots too”.

I felt much more at ease leaving the house knowing the roads were mostly clear- I just knew to be mindful of said sporadic ice patches.

I dropped the kids off at school- no problems.

I came home and rang my mom to catch up a bit. While we were talking she mentioned that dad had driven to my son’s school that morning on his way to work so he could let me how *our* drive would be. “What?! I didn’t see that.” She said “yeah he sent it in the family chat this morning”. I opened up our chat and saw this:

I am thirty-something years old, and my dad traveled the roads he knew me and my kids would be taking, just to make sure we’d be okay. The original message I saw meant a lot- but knowing he went out of his way because he loves us and wants the best for means everything.

This is such a good picture of Deuteronomy 31:8, which says “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”

If you Google this verse, it has an explanation that says,
“This verse is a promise from God that He will be with His people and will never leave them. It is a recurring theme in the Bible that God’s presence is a source of protection and blessing.
This verse can be interpreted to mean that God is already aware of what is to come and knows what His people need. This can provide comfort and assurance that God is guiding people through life.”

I hesitated writing this post.. for days. There are things I’ll feel strongly that God has shown me and I need to share, but as I begin to prepare how to say it, I can hear the criticisms in my head:
“If God is real and so good, why is the world so terrible?”
“He might go before us, but things still happen- explain that!”

Here’s the thing- I can’t. I cannot explain why bad things happen, why good people die and die young, why tragedies happen daily, etc. etc. etc.
I do know that I believe the Word of God. I know that everything was hunky dory in Genesis until the Fall happened (Adam and Eve), and that through their sin all humanity was and is affected (Romans 5:12), and that sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2), and that Jesus gave His life so that we could be reunited with Him, forever- (John 3:16) “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life”.

But here’s the other thing- it’s not my job to know everything.. it’s my job to trust. Proverbs 3:5-6 says to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding..”

My dad traveled the roads I’d be taking before I did. Could we still have been in an accident? Yep. Could we have gotten killed or severely injured due to said accident? Yes.

I feel it’s noteworthy to mention here that I have a part to play in the outcome as well (not always, but often). I need to drive the speed limit set for those roads. I need to be paying attention and staying vigilant watching out for other drivers and my surroundings. I need to be wearing my seatbelt. If I know roads might be dicey, [while it’s not dad’s responsibility to send warning messages] I can check my messages or the news ahead of time to know what to expect- which is like studying the Word to be advised on how to handle life situations that arise.

Following Jesus isn’t about controlling our outcomes and knowing the future- that’s not what having faith is.

It’s about knowing the God of the universe, knowing that He goes before you, and that His plans for His people are good.
It’s about having peace and comfort that the world cannot offer- unconditional love that nothing in the world can quench. It’s about having hope when things look bleak and scary. An anchor for your soul when everything is shaky. He is the firm foundation, the fortress we can run to, the strong hand and helps us up and guides us. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1

I pray that this picture of my dad going before us hits your heart with God’s love for you like it did mine. ❤

& if you made it this far, I’m praying this over you..

“May the Lord bless you and protect you.
May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you.
May the Lord show you His favor,
and give you His peace.”
(Numbers 6:24-26)