God Works In Mysterious Ways

I’ve heard it a million times but never really gave it much thought. I never really experienced God Working in Mysterious Ways until Friday.

I had just gotten home from work on Friday and my faith in God was starting to fade. I had hit the proverbial brick wall as they say. The weekend was beginning and this was going to be my first weekend alone in San Antonio since I moved here and the thought of not seeing my kids and grand kids was starting to wear on me. I have been gong back to Houston on the weekends to spend time with my daughters, grand kids and to attend Lakewood Church. I have found a new home at Lakewood and enjoy going to it with my daughters and Gabriel.

I was laying in bed talking to God. I was asking him if He could give me a sign  for me to re-gain my faith. Something to show me that He really was working on me, something to give me a glimmer of hope. As I was talking to God I received a text message from Gail asking me if I was coming to Houston this weekend. Not thinking much of it I responded no. At first the old Jim started to surface and I started to ask myself, why would she want to know if I was coming to Houston? But I stopped thinking about it because reading into things has done nothing but cause me problems so I let it go. She texted me back saying that she was going to spend time with Gabriel on Saturday after work. Usually when I come back to Houston Gabriel will come to house and spend the night with me “in the big bed”, “eat chocolate sandwiches”, and “play hoopses.” I was happy that Gail was going to spend time with him because I know how much she loves him and how big of a smile he puts on her face.

So after my text from Gail, I thanked God for the conversation with Gail and continued talking to Him. I wasn’t  feeling sorry for myself , just my faith was fading and I wanted to know that He was there. If you know me I have a hard time trusting and I am working on it everyday, but I still have moments where I just cannot seem to gather the strength to have faith. Being new at this it isn’t easy for me, but I am NOT giving up.

So as I was talking to God I felt myself drifting off into a sleep. As I was drifting off my phone rang. I looked at the time and it was 11:45pm. I noticed the call was from my daughter Rachel. I knew from a previous conversation earlier that night that my daughter was having dinner with her boyfriend and thought it was odd that she was calling me so soon.

As I answered the phone I heard the following words that will live with me forever…”dad, something really bad just happened”. I will never forget those words as long as I live. She was crying uncontrollably and it was very hard to understand her. She told me that she was in a car accident and it was bad. I asked her if she was okay and she said, “I think so.” As I was trying to get information from her I heard a voice yelling, “are you okay.” Hearing those words my heart sank into my stomach and I could hear sirens in the background. I was helpless. I wasn’t there to hold my baby. I was scared. I asked her what happen and she said, “I don’t know.” I asked her again and she said that her car was really messed up. I asked her to give the phone to the person who was asking if she was all right. He told me that my daughter had hit a metal box. Wanting more information I asked him what happen? He said that there was an accident on the other side of the highway and that a metal box had flown off a truck, landed on my daughter’s side of the highway and she hit it. I asked him if my daughter was okay and he said that she seemed to be except that she was really shaken up. I asked him to please put my daughter back on the phone.

I calmed her down and asked her what happen. After a few minutes she was able to tell me that a truck had crashed into another car on the other side of the highway and a steel box the size of a coffin flew into the air and hit her car as she was driving. She told me all she saw were sparks, tools, tanks and a huge metal box flying at her. She said the box hit her car and after it hit her car the airbag went off. I continued to ask her if she was ok and she said I think so. By this time paramedics and police were on the scene and I talked to both. They assured me that my daughter was fine, just very shaken up.

As I was talking to her my heart was pounding and I began to get dressed. I told her that I was coming for her and not to worry. Daddy was on his way……I stayed on the phone with her as I got into my car and began a 3 hour ride to Houston. I didn’t care how long it was going to take I needed to see my baby. I needed to comfort her and be there for her.

Eventually she was calmed down and I spoke to the police officer who was on the scene. He assured me she was okay and that he would take her to the police station until I arrived.

During my entire drive the only three words that I spoke out loud were THANK YOU GOD. As I arrived at the police station I could see my daughter through the lobby windows and joy filled my heart. She was okay, shaken but okay. I ran to her and held her and didn’t want to let go. I looked up and said out loud THANK YOU GOD FOR PROTECTING MY BABY.

As we were driving back to the house she feel asleep and as I looked at her all I could see was my daughter as a little girl. Tears of joy rolled down my cheeks because she was still with us.

I spoke with the officer who was there and he told me had she been traveling ½ mph faster the metal box would have gone through the windshield, or had it hit six inches higher the outcome would have been a lot different.

As we walked into the house I stopped her in front of the stairs and hugged her. I didn’t want to let go. I again thanked God for protecting her.

After calling the insurance company I laid in bed thanking God and began going through the series of events of that night in my head. Then I realized something that at the time didn’t seem relevant to the situation but after thinking about it would play a huge role in the events of the night. My daughter who is directionally challenged missed her exit and was 15 miles past it.

Then I thought to myself that a few hours earlier I was asking God for a sign, a sign that He existed, a sign that He was there. God saved my daughter that night. God does work in mysterious ways.

Keep the Faith

Jim