It Had To Happen … The Testing

Last Wednesday literally 2 and a half hours after posting my blog about looking after each other when broken down on the highways, it happened … the test.

I decided to make a fast trip into town for a fuel and water run. I had appointments, 3 of them back to back starting at 11. But I could do a quick trip into town before. It was not lost on me about the blog and helping. I cannot say it was a total surprise to see a car with their 4 ways flashing broken down on the other side of the highway, going the other direction from me.

I want to tell you that I immediately pulled over to check, but I did not, I went past. It was only moments later when I heard God say, “Hey!”

I almost laughed. Yes I heard Him and then turned around to go check.

I walked up to the window and it was a young gal, early 20’s. Her vehicle had just died and would not start. She had her phone on and dad was on the other end. I said “hi” to dad.

They were trying to work out a plan so I went and sat in my truck to wait for them. This young gal was doing the correct thing and not getting out of her car so I went back to talk to her.

Her dad was arranging for someone to come for the car. I told her and dad where I lived and they lived very close so I offered to take her home. She said she had to stay with the car to hand off the keys. The fellow and details still being worked out. Dad and her were still talking. I think I assumed dad would get there or get someone there to be with her. Dad’s help was like 1 or 2 hours away.

I made a decision to run to town promising to check on her when I got back. I was all of 35 minutes and can I just say… they seemed like a very very long 35 minutes!

I got about 5 minutes away and started kicking myself for leaving her. I shouldn’t have, I should have… scenarios played through my mind endlessly for 35 minutes.

At some point God asked me if I trusted Him at all and in His ability to take care of her. Even then I have to admit I still felt like I should have stayed. But yes, God and I prayed, talked and I had to trust her to Him.

When I returned she was still there. I knew then when I saw her red eyes from crying that I was not leaving until someone came and got her. She would not leave to go home with me. She said another guy was coming from a closer place.

I chatted with her a while and then waited in my vehicle for a bit. She again did the right thing, did not invite me in nor did I offer her to come to mine. I went back to talk to her and in about 20 minutes a truck showed up.

A gangly young fellow walked up and asked if she was “Wills” sister. She did not know him but she knew Will. This guy was going to take her home and come back and wait for the tow driver. A much better safety idea!

I then went on with my day.

This young gal sitting on the highway with no way to escape if someone wrong had come along. Having 2 people there was good for safety. But having God there through prayer was the very best strategy for this time. If I had not stopped I would never know someone needed prayer, someone needed help. That someone could have been me, my daughter in laws, my grandkids or as in last week my son and daughter in law.

It reinforced asking God every time there’s a car pulled over- do I stop? And most certainly “I need to pray for them.”

So the question in my head was still reverberating “should I have left?” I get different answers and I waver on my answer. It seemed this young gal was learning a hard and scary lesson about life. Break downs inevitably happens to all of us. I can only pray that when it is my turn someone will stop and ask if I am okay and hope that someone passing by or stopping is or has been praying for me because those are truly the safest hands to be in.