A GODLY-PROTECTED EVENT

Yesterday morning I drove up to the Red Lake Reservation to take Pastor Josephine to a home about 100 miles north of her, in Baudette, MN, on the Canadian border, so we could hang out with our dear friends. They had come down to her church to minister to the folks, but she had never had a chance to go up to their house. I always look forward to visiting Dave and Ducky, who I met about 7 years ago up here, and I was also excited that I would have Josephine with me privately for some hours and we'd get to know each other better. That was the whole plan.

I've often said that if I'm not driving around the reservation carefully enough, I end up in some real trouble. It's been crazy in the past, scaring the tar out of me a few times. Yesterday, however, I wasn't concerned, partly because I would have Josephine with me and partly because I wasn't just "touristing" or "prayer driving", but was doing a "God-job" and knew it was another "Right Place, Right Time" action.

We were driving along the main highway between two of the towns that were a few miles apart. A large van-style vehicle pulled in behind me and was right on my tail, pushing and prodding. The speed limit was 50 mph and that's what I was doing. No one was in front of me.

I saw a German Shepherd-ish dog on the side of the road, a bit ahead of me, wandering in a ditch. It suddenly cut up onto the highway, not running, but moving rather quickly. I had to hit the brakes, first slowing, then stopping. The dog jig-jagged in front of my car, then cut into the other lane. As it did, the van behind me swung into the other lane, not slowing even the slightest, just missed the dog, popped back and forth a bit, and hit the road in front of me, speeding, another car headed towards it in the other lane. It could have been one big mess of vehicles, people, and a dog. Of course, this whole event was very few seconds.

As I started moving forward, the crisis past, my eyes were BIG, my breathing slow. I glanced at Josephine. She was quietly, intensely staring ahead. We knew we had been protected by the Lord.

After that, all the miles up to Baudette and back, there was not one tiny road issue. It was a total of about 250 miles from Susie's to Baudette and back.

When I arrived at Susie's, after my long 9-hour visit-and- drive day, rejoicing for my blessed time with Josephine and Dave and Ducky, I was also rejoicing that my Father had protected me and mine.

My heart has been singing "Hallelujah" ever since.