My dad’s funeral was this past Saturday. We had built margins into the day to make it as peaceful as possible. That morning my husband was out running errands. Around 9 AM he called. His message? Our vehicle had stopped working. It felt like a punch in the gut. “Why? Of all days, why today?” After we talked, my husband began arranging for a tow truck. I called a car rental company that picks people up and found they were not open on the weekends. I then began calling everyone in my neighborhood I felt comfortable asking, “Can I borrow a car?” Every call was answered by a machine. I felt a sense of panic rising in me as I paused to think of who I could possibly call next. At that point my eyes fell on a scripture card that was lying on the counter for review and meditation. It was Jeremiah 29:11-13, which begins, “For I know the plans I have for you.” Instantly I was reminded that God is in charge and he cares about me. I knew that no matter how many calls I had to make, God would provide a way for us to get to my dad’s funeral (about an hour’s drive). I looked up the number for the next person I was going to call, but before I called, my phone rang. A neighbor asked if I had called just a short while ago; I told him I had, and why. This family lent us their vehicle—and borrowed one themselves from their son to meet their own needs.
I could easily make this a sharing about the blessing of good friends, but this is a blog about scripture and I want to point out how God’s word lowered my panic and turned my eyes from a difficult circumstance to the one who is Lord of circumstances. I had to regain that focus when our margins were eaten up by adjustments the dysfunctional van required us to make, but I can say there was no return of the panic. While I had wanted to arrive early, we could not—but we did arrive timely. I was not stressed. God had indeed provided.