Pressing On

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze"- Isaiah 43:2 (NIV).

The clouds were the blackest clouds my husband and I had ever seen. We were driving home from North Carolina, having celebrated my birthday, when we ran into torrential rainfall. Cars, transfer trucks, and other vehicles were either pulling off to the side or driving 5-10 miles per hour, emergency flashers going, when it all came to a complete stop. Our phone alarms went off saying I-26 was shut down due to 3' of flooding over the highway. Worry, no fear, began to creep in, but we prayed for God's help. Headlights started coming toward us, as a few cars struggled to get turned around and began driving back up using the emergency lane. They had to move to the side when emergency vehicles came from the other direction, one with a huge rubber raft. Lanes were shifting to accommodate the extra cars, because of the risk of getting stuck in the mud off the shoulder of the road. We couldn't remain there, so we joined in with those trying to backtrack from the flooding and made it to another route, though longer, toward home. The next off-ramp was blocked off due to mudslides. We pressed on, but another ten miles down the road found us at another complete stop; this time for a traffic accident. An hour later we passed the upside down car resting in the right-hand lane. We made it home safely around 1:00 am. The one-hour trip took four hours, but we were safely home. Praise the Lord! Today's verse came to mind. There may be storms, turmoils of all kinds, threatening you right now, but God will be with you. "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you" (Deuteronomy 31:6). Press on courageously, trusting in God's strength.