Road Trip

Yesterday I drove a long 8 1/2 hours from Chicago back home to Olathe.  As the miles stretched on, my phone battery weakened, and my musical selection grew old.  On that never ending highway, I found myself completely alone...aside from the occasional electronic devices. Yet, even in the midst of their distraction, the stifling silence was unavoidable, and I longed for human contact. After 3 long hours of phone convos and music stations, I decided to turn to the one ear that would hear me... God. I began to talk to Him, to cry out to Him, to pour my heart out to Him, because in those isolated hours, He was my only companion. As we talked, I knew He was right there with me, and my soul became so thrilled that I could have some completely uninterrupted time to really talk with Him. It was beautiful, and before I knew it, my trip was well on it's way. Yet even as I continued my journey, the loneliness didn't seem so lonely anymore, because I knew that the minute I had a thought, or wanted to gab, I had a friend right there waiting.

This week is about total dependence, and on yesterday's road trip, I realized that I was left with no other relational being but God. As I was reading my Lent devotional this morning, a beautiful verse was mentioned:
"Come to my help, oh God. Lord hurry to my rescue!" Psalm 70:1. Although short and simple, this phrase truly speaks to our soul's longing for God. This cry is not only for times of desperation, but can be used in all circumstances. It's a reminder that we need God. We need Him to take our worries, to give us strength, to carry our burdens, to change our attitudes/perspective, to give us wisdom, and on and on. It pierces to the very heart of our condition and humbly reveals our vulnerability as we cry out to our protector..our rescue.

Had I continued my journey without acknowledging His presence, had I filled my time with meaningless thought and constant chatter, I would have missed out on something so beautiful. My soul would have been restless, my trip would have drudged on, and my loneliness would have won. But, when I humbled myself, recognized my passenger, and cried out to Him, He came quickly to my rescue as if He'd been there all along.

Let's memorize this verse, let's let it soak into our souls, and use it daily. God knows that not a day goes by that we don't need rescuing, but how comforting to know that He sent us a Savior.

Suggested Reading: Psalm 121