On a whim, a college friend named Earle talked me into going to a Merle Haggard Concert. So, we we drove to the city hoping to find some concert tickets at the last minute. When we got there, we walked down a little side street toward the arena. We saw a group of people and thought we would approach them to see if they had tickets.
What we didn’t know was that we were one night too early for the concert… and the people we were walking up to were apparently in the middle of a drug deal! Needless to say they were surprised as we were at that moment. How Awkward! Especially, when they asked what we were doing there and I told them Earle and me were there to see Merle… ( they had never heard of Eale or Merle)…I remember thinking we might not survive this situation…but we did. They laughed and we…ran like scared rabbits all the way back to my car. It was a long time before I could listen to country music again and not get the ” heebie jeebies” ( 1960’s term for anxiety).
Is there a worse feeling than being clueless and helpless at the same time? That’s when we pray our shortest and simplest prayer : ” Lord, help me”… and amazingly He does, not because we earn it or deserve it, it is simply because He loves us enough to deliver us. Psalm 46: 1 states, ” God is our refuge and strength and ever present help in trouble.”
Take time today to reflect back on those times when God helped you or delivered you. It is as we look back and see how God was looking out for us; even when we didn’t realize we were in danger or in need, we appreciate even more His love for us. He has the answer before we have the problem… That is something we all can be thankful for and praise Him for His goodness and grace.