by Kay Jenkins
I recall one of my worst trips via automobile, during the winter/spring of 2005. I had just sold my home in NJ and was preparing for relocation to Atlanta within a few months, but would stay with one of my sisters in Northern New Jersey until then. The drive was a good 50- minutes on a clear day - without traffic, but not this particular day.
The month was March; we were just at the tail end of winter and at the sweet onset of spring when we were hit by an unexpected blizzard. My SUV was packed beyond standard capacity with a 2 x 4 clearance for rear viewing. While en route to the attorney's office, it started flurrying, but nothing major. After approximately 45-minutes, I shook hands with everyone, exchanged my house keys for a check, and headed for the door. My plan? To beat the storm, and pull over if I had to. But when I opened the door to exit the building I could barely see my car. "Where did this come from so quickly?” I asked. It was already a bit late in the day, I didn't know what to expect next. I wanted to drive as quickly as possible without incurring a ticket or some other misfortune, but when my vehicle started sliding, and the wind began blowing the snow faster than it fell, I panicked - no, actually I freaked. I could not see a thing. I wanted to stop but could not see the other vehicles around me. What had been a familiar route was now foreign by each traveling mile. Some vehicles had already collided, making navigation through the snow even more of a challenge. There was no clearance to pull over, and the snow was expected to worsen. I do not believe I had ever prayed so hard over a road trip prior to that day, especially one that was local. When cars started piling up around me like toys, and the radio would not work, I prayed even harder... "God, what should I do, tell me what to do - help me?!? " I cried frantically. Only to hear a calming "Just keep moving, you will be all right," in my spirit. Three hours: A 50-minute drive took three hours. As I exited the parkway and eventually turned the corner to my sister's neighborhood, I was overcome with joy as my sister eagerly met me in front of the house - shivering, but glad to see me.
Have you ever had to navigate through such a storm? One that incited panic as you witnessed the crashing and colliding of countless others who ventured the same life-threatening path. Yes, there will be a delay in arrival to your destination. However, that is the least of your concerns. Out of fear, you will probably seek an easy way out, but there will be none. Instead, you will be expected to just “keep moving..." Life is like that "Nor ‘Eastern” snowstorm of 2005. It renders unexpected delays, seasonal storms with blustering winds, low visibility and accumulative matter. Yes, those "Nor ‘Easterners" are typically miscalculated, and despite limited visibility all you can really do, is “just keep moving." I made it to my destination late, but safe. And when I arrived, there was someone special waiting for me, even as there was someone - though unseen, unbeknownst to me, riding with me through the entire storm. I was not alone.
Where ever you are in your storm today, trust that you are not alone, and if you seek Help, you shall find it indeed. Listen, and follow the instruction rendered. Someone is waiting for you.
(c) 2014
I recall one of my worst trips via automobile, during the winter/spring of 2005. I had just sold my home in NJ and was preparing for relocation to Atlanta within a few months, but would stay with one of my sisters in Northern New Jersey until then. The drive was a good 50- minutes on a clear day - without traffic, but not this particular day.
The month was March; we were just at the tail end of winter and at the sweet onset of spring when we were hit by an unexpected blizzard. My SUV was packed beyond standard capacity with a 2 x 4 clearance for rear viewing. While en route to the attorney's office, it started flurrying, but nothing major. After approximately 45-minutes, I shook hands with everyone, exchanged my house keys for a check, and headed for the door. My plan? To beat the storm, and pull over if I had to. But when I opened the door to exit the building I could barely see my car. "Where did this come from so quickly?” I asked. It was already a bit late in the day, I didn't know what to expect next. I wanted to drive as quickly as possible without incurring a ticket or some other misfortune, but when my vehicle started sliding, and the wind began blowing the snow faster than it fell, I panicked - no, actually I freaked. I could not see a thing. I wanted to stop but could not see the other vehicles around me. What had been a familiar route was now foreign by each traveling mile. Some vehicles had already collided, making navigation through the snow even more of a challenge. There was no clearance to pull over, and the snow was expected to worsen. I do not believe I had ever prayed so hard over a road trip prior to that day, especially one that was local. When cars started piling up around me like toys, and the radio would not work, I prayed even harder... "God, what should I do, tell me what to do - help me?!? " I cried frantically. Only to hear a calming "Just keep moving, you will be all right," in my spirit. Three hours: A 50-minute drive took three hours. As I exited the parkway and eventually turned the corner to my sister's neighborhood, I was overcome with joy as my sister eagerly met me in front of the house - shivering, but glad to see me.
Have you ever had to navigate through such a storm? One that incited panic as you witnessed the crashing and colliding of countless others who ventured the same life-threatening path. Yes, there will be a delay in arrival to your destination. However, that is the least of your concerns. Out of fear, you will probably seek an easy way out, but there will be none. Instead, you will be expected to just “keep moving..." Life is like that "Nor ‘Eastern” snowstorm of 2005. It renders unexpected delays, seasonal storms with blustering winds, low visibility and accumulative matter. Yes, those "Nor ‘Easterners" are typically miscalculated, and despite limited visibility all you can really do, is “just keep moving." I made it to my destination late, but safe. And when I arrived, there was someone special waiting for me, even as there was someone - though unseen, unbeknownst to me, riding with me through the entire storm. I was not alone.
Where ever you are in your storm today, trust that you are not alone, and if you seek Help, you shall find it indeed. Listen, and follow the instruction rendered. Someone is waiting for you.
(c) 2014