Deerest Thanks to God

The LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. --Psalm 121:8

Last night's 40 minute drive home from Hutchinson was quite an experience.

First, I witnessed one of the most incredible lightning storms of my life. White streaks of light that spread through the sky-- like the way a spider crack spreads through a car's windshield. And then, dozens of bolts of lightning that struck the ground. There were moments where the light and darkness was flickering so quickly, it looked like a stage effect from a rock concert. Then, after driving out from the middle of the storm, I watched the storm from the distance and saw incredible displays of exploding light. Just amazing.

It was hard keeping an eye on the road-- the entertainment in the sky was so intriguing. Suddenly, an adult deer in the left roadside came into view. "Oh no," I thought, "that stupid deer is going to run right into me." I was motoring along at 60 mph. If that deer kept moving toward the road, there was no way I could safely get out of its way. I would have hit it head on.

It's incredible what the mind can think of in the snap of a moment. I thought of the horror of hearing the deer hit my car, the airbags exploding, the mangled front end of my car, the time it would take to call the sheriff, get estimates for the car, and finally getting it fixed.

And then, instead of continuing toward me and the road, the deer simply stopped and turned back the other way. I zoomed on by. Nothing happened. I was safe. And I said, "Lord, thank you so much."

After that short prayer, a thought occurred to me. "You said that word of thanks to God. Well and good. But soon, you'll forget ever saying that prayer. Meanwhile, if that deer really did hit you, you'd be dealing with the mess of that accident for months. God in his kindness spared you of all that. You'll probably forget all this blessing later, so I just wanted to remind you of it now."

So knowing that three months from now, I won't be getting a call from the body shop saying, "You're car is done," let me say this now while I still remember-- thank you, "deerest" Lord!