Four Long Hours

Psalm 46:1-2 "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea."

As a mother I spend the majority of my life worrying about my kids. Oh I know that I am not supposed to worry. I am not supposed to lose sleep or try to change their circumstance. I am supposed to trust in God's plan for them and for myself. I am supposed to rest in the promise of His providence. And I try. I really do. But sometimes my knees buckle and the earth gives way under my feet and I forget that I am supposed to say "Thy will be done."

A few days ago we received an early morning phone call from our frantic son-in-love of our next to oldest daughter. She had been in a head on collision with a trailer that had come loose from a truck. He was at the scene, they were taking her out of the truck, and she had, at first assessment, a broken leg with possible spinal injuries. We are four hours away. 

Now mind you I had just come home from 3 days in the hospital myself for an irregular heartbeat and dizziness. (It all turned out to be an infection in my sinuses and with time I will be just fine). So I was not at my best and not released to drive yet. Sweetheart has a broken elbow and is in a cast. We are quite the pair. But within minutes a suitcase was packed, the neighbor agreed to pick up the mail, silly dog was thrown into the back seat and we were on our way to Louisiana. Four hours is a long time.

The entire time I was begging and pleading with God. Please don't take my baby. Please let her be ok. Please let the doctors be wrong. Please. Please. Please. Then I started bartering. Alright...if she is not ok then please let her hang on till I get there. Please let her be awake enough to talk to her children. Then it was just outright manipulation. If you make sure she is ok then I will be a better mom, a better ministry woman, I will write that book, I will stop procrastinating, I will give more tithing. I did not care. I was willing to trade anything. Four hours leaves room for a lot of begging and pleading.

Before leaving the house I had set my prayer chain in motion. Two phone calls to two people and within minutes, literally thousands of people all over the world were petitioning God on behalf of my daughter and for safe travels for sweetheart and I. My phone stayed lit up with text messages, emails, and voice mails in support of our situation. I had, in the past, asked for prayers for this, that, and the other but now I found myself praying that the prayers of everyone else were pushing forward right to the feet of our Father in Heaven. Four hours is a lot of praying. 

Just before we reached the city limits of our daughters home we received a phone call that not only was she ok, there were no broken bones or severe injuries of any kind. In fact she was being released with only a splinted arm and lots of bruising. The doctor's were amazed. We, on the other hand, were not amazed. We were grateful. For we knew that in spite of everything that should have been, God had seen fit to wrap our daughter in His Mercy and protection. We knew that our God, our Jehovah Rapha, had seen fit to bless our daughter with His perfect healing. He had performed the miracle we had asked for. Four hours is more than enough time for God to heal broken bones and internal injuries. 

I sit here, back home at my desk, wiping my tears of gratitude but also wiping tears of shame for not trusting God enough. I have pondered long this morning what I could have done differently. Will I handle it better next time? Will I be stronger in my faith and more confident that He knows what is best? I hope so. I pray so. Because I have friends who did not get their miracles, one in particular whose only daughter was taken from her in a tragic automobile accident, I am on my knees in humble adoration of His Grace in my life. Four hours is more than enough time for God to show you the areas of your life you need to pay closer attention to. 

Dearest Father God, there are no words that would adequately express my feelings. I thank You so much for keeping my precious child safe. For healing her. For giving her back to her husband and children. For lifting her up and over the metal that by all accounts should have taken her from us. Thank You for showing me that I need to remember to put on the full armor of Your Protection before I ever step out of bed in the morning. The armor that will keep my heart , my mind, my soul, my actions full of Your truth, Your Spirit, Your righteousness, Your Peace and Your Salvation. Thank You for those who stood in the gap for my family without even knowing the why or the how. Thank You for their powerful prayers. I am sorry that I stumbled and lost faith. I pray for increased strength as I go forward. I pray that I will trust You every step of the way. In the Name of Christ Jesus I pray, Amen

copyright©Michelle Welch, team member of Breath Of Life Women's Ministries
photography by Michelle Welch, all rights reserved with the exception of the picture by Shelly A. Van Camp
scripture from NIV Bible. THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.