BANG

Bang!  No I’m not talking about fireworks or artillery.  This time I’m actually talking about a prayful experience I had while driving through Atlanta a few years ago.  Prayful?  I know it’s not a real word, but I don’t know how else to describe it.

My stepfather has 3 children who live with their families in Ormond by the Sea, Florida.  He and mom go down to visit them twice a year.  When we can, my husband, daughter, and myself like to go too.            

On this particular trip, we were driving on the outskirts of Atlanta on the interstate in 12 lanes of traffic-6 each way.  It was a nice October day and the traffic was heavy but not bad.  Most people were driving around 65 to 80 mph.  We were driving in a middle lane behind my mom and stepfather and our daughter who was riding with them.  

Out of nowhere, a thought pops into my head.  I had forgotten to pray for a safe trip before we left that morning.  You know how hectic it is before you leave on a long trip.  Is everything packed and in the car?  Is everything turned off and locked up?

So I said a silent prayer.  I don’t remember my exact words.  I probably prayed for God to be with us and protect us, and of course, to thank Him for Jesus.

            As soon as I said “Amen,” I heard an explosion, BANG! to our right.  I saw large pieces of black things flying around us.  That’s when my husband yelled, “Hang on!”  A tractor trailer right beside us had a tire that exploded, hurling pieces across the interstate.  It was as if the tire was waiting for me to say, “Amen” before it blew.

            I was terrified when I saw a huge piece of tire hit the front of my mother’s car where my daughter was riding.  I said another quick prayer.  I didn’t care about my safety as I did hers.   Then my husband had to veer around the same large piece as it flew back to us. At the same time the cars around us were swerving in all directions to avoid pieces of the tire as well as each other. Looking back, it was as if the cars were playing a dangerous game of Tag.

            In a few seconds, it was over.  Amazingly nobody lost control of their car or hit another one.  Not only did the truck driver manage to keep his truck under control, he also managed to pull across two lanes of traffic to the shoulder without hitting another car.  I believe God literally had His hand on the situation.  I have often wondered what would have happened if I hadn’t prayed.   

     “Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV.

            It’s hard in our busy world today to stop and pray, much less do it continually.  The only things I can do continually are breath and eat.  Maybe prayer should be more like breathing and be a second nature to us instead of a scheduled task.  We don’t breathe-we suffocate physically.  We don’t pray-we suffocate spiritually.

     My prayer is for God’s protection to be with you today, especially if you’re on the interstate.

Superheros!

I’ll admit it and come clean. I’m just an overgrown kid who’s a superhero junkie! How does this relate to Jesus? Stay with me and I’ll show you.

My first superhero was Underdog. As a small girl, I’d watch it with my papaw (grandfather) who recently passed away in June. For those of you who were alive and actually remember the 70s, we had the Superfriends with the Wonder Twins on Saturday morning. My favorite ones are Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman. It doesn’t stop there. I have The Incredibles on DVD and I watch Sky High whenever it’s on.

My favorite superhero car is the Batmobile! It had a rocket in the back and a metal shield on demand. I wish I had it when I used to work in West Knoxville on Cedar Bluff. Talk about cutting through traffic! But, if I could fly like Superman, then I wouldn't need the Batmobile.

So how does all this relate to Jesus? To me, Philippians 4:13 is a superhero verse for Christians, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength,” (NIV).  Wow, what a powerful verse! For those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, the power of the Holy Spirit, the power of the Resurrection, is always at our disposal. We don’t have to pop a power pill or eat spinach (yuck) to get it. We just have to pray. We just have to plug into it.

I think we get so busy in our daily lives with our jobs, family, housework and even church work that we forget about reaching out to the Holy Spirit for strength. Maybe some of us do remember the Holy Spirit is there, but we don't realize just how truly powerful He is.

As Christians, we can do something much better than jumping over buildings or picking up trains; we can help to further the Kingdom of God. Through Him, we can accomplish the impossible. We can make a difference in people’s lives. We can effect eternity.

All superheroes share a common threat in that they’re vulnerable to something.  Take Superman for example.   If he gets too close to Kryptonite, it saps out all of his energy and superstrength.   But our power, the Holy Spirit, has no vulnerability.  It will NEVER be weak, NEVER wear out, and will NEVER let us down. How super-awesome is that?

Now, if I could be a comic book superhero, I would be Chocolate Girl. In order to get my superpowers, I would have to eat pounds of chocolate. I wouldn't gain any weight or break out. And I would have a long flowing cape with a big C on it!  Perhaps God will make my fantasy a reality in Heaven one day.