Stop and Pray

 It was 2:00 on Sunday morning. I finished packing our bags, and my husband did a final check of the car. Then, along with our one-year-old son, we drove out of our garage and headed for the shore. At 6:00 A.M., the anchors were lifted, and the ferry set sail. We made ourselves comfortable, for, in another six hours, we would be at our first stopping point. Then we would drive our car the rest of the way to our home village, another seventy-seven miles beyond. We reached our first stop at approximately noon and drove off the ferry. We sent our prayers up to our Lord and started for our home village. It had been eight months since we had seen our relatives, so we were excited to get home!

At 2:00 P.M., we were about forty-three miles away from our home village when I realized my husband was driving way below the speed limit. I did not ask him why he drove so slowly because I was enjoying the calmness on the journey. However, it wasn’t too long until my husband brought our car to a stop. After an inspection, he said, “I’m not comfortable with the way this car feels, but I don’t know why.” Feeling uncertain, we prayed and continued. With no mechanic shop open, my husband drove slowly until we reached our final destination. We were overjoyed to see our relatives! The next morning we awoke to find one tire flat on the car. After an examination by a mechanic, we discovered that the tire was worn and that we needed a new one. The problem was diagnosed and resolved.

 There are times in our lives when we are not certain about what to do when life becomes “uncomfortable.” We don’t know where to go when the journey we are on seems long and threatening. However, there is something we can do: stop and pray. We may not know what the problem is, but God knows. We may not understand the circumstances, but God does.

Our journey that day was long and terrifying, but we prayed. We thanked God for His protection. We gloried in the fact that God watches over us and leads us. He did it for us, and He can do it for you today. Just remember to stop and pray.

Jenel A. N. Campbell-McPherson