Traveling Mercies

Holiday travel is here and many of us our hitting the road, figuratively and, unfortunately, literally.  Are you praying for yourself, your family and loved ones?   A prayer for "traveling mercies" has become part of Christian speak, an insider, stock in trade prayer.  It slips so easily off our tongues that we may not consider whether it's resonating in Heaven.  I once travelled from my college in the East to my home in the West only to fall out of the front cab of a pickup truck with an unlatched door just a few blocks from home.   I greeted my mother for the first time in months with blood running down my forehead and onto my face.   I spent Christmas Eve in the emergency room and supplied my dad with teasing fodder every time we drove past that spot thereafter.  I still have the scar along with the memory of a regretful decision not to purchase travel insurance.

I'll fast forward to our present life.   It's been more than six years now that my family suffered a catastrophic auto accident that nearly took my husband's life.    We have not taken a road trip since then without first praying for safety.   It was terrible but God was merciful.  He sheltered us beneath his wings.  He has been good to us, indeed.

Psalm 91

 ¹ Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
   will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.^[a]
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
   my God, in whom I trust.” ³ Surely he will save you
   from the fowler’s snare
   and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
   and under his wings you will find refuge;
   his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
   nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
   nor the plague that destroys at midday.
⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
   ten thousand at your right hand,
   but it will not come near you.
⁸ You will only observe with your eyes
   and see the punishment of the wicked.
 ⁹ If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”
   and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
   no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
   to guard you in all your ways;
¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
   so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
   you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
 ¹⁴ “Because he^[b] loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
   I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him;
   I will be with him in trouble,
   I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
   and show him my salvation.”

Traveling Mercies - Lost Dogs

Dad,  I don't think you ever had an auto accident until that day you were a stubborn octogenarian jonesing for your Starbucks coffee.  Your pride probably suffered more than that mailbox you hit.  Your life on the road was truly a tale of amazing grace!   You drove an ammunition truck behind Patton's army to the front lines of the Battle of the Bulge.   You drove a cab then a milk truck to provide for your ever growing family.   Family vacations had you driving us all from campground to campground with plenty of Jiffy Pop and marshmallows but without seat belts or airbags!    In retirement you and mom enjoyed all your trips with the trailer and a motor home, even going to Disneyland as happy empty nesters.  Yes, it was amazing grace.   If you haven't already taken time to thank your angels please do so now.   They had to put in a whole lot of overtime.