Oh, no! He Never Lets Go…
by Elaine Reimers, Adult Ministry Director
I would like to share with you a true story about God’s unexplainable omnipotence; His unmatchable faithfulness; and the immeasurable love and compassion that He so freely lavishes on us every day. During this Christmas season, like many, I am reflecting on the goodness of Father God. I think about what it must have been like to willingly come to this world, knowing that you would ultimately be crucified by the same people you breathed life into- brutally beaten, spit on, humiliated, and nailed to a cross by the people you came to save! And yet, He came. He came for you and he came for me! He came. He suffered. He died. And He rose again….all because He loves us. He truly, truly loves us, and the recollection of a road trip on a bitterly cold winter’s night always reminds me of this undeniable fact.
Sometime during the winter, approximately 13 years ago, my children’s father, my two oldest sons, and my only daughter, and I were on a road trip from Kansas City to the Christmas Mountain Village Resort in Wisconsin Dells, WI. We packed up our SUV and hit the road excited about finally getting away. My daughter was still in an infant car seat, which means that my two oldest boys had to have been approximately 4 and 6-years-old. The trip started off as normal as could be: we stopped for gas; I bought my favorite travel snack, Peanut Butter M&Ms; and the kids most likely convinced us to buy them those high-priced juices with the latest movie/television character as the spout-remember those?! Then, of course once we were on the road, there was the expected and inevitable kids' bantering turned to bullying, pulling over for the potty and diaper changes, baby girl crying in the rear-facing car seat, car games like who can get through the alphabet A to Z using the first letter of words seen along the highway, etc. We were having as much fun as two parents on a road trip with three kids under the age of seven could have and we were looking forward to arriving that evening to our cozy little cabin in the woods, safe and sound.
The meteorologist on the radio was forecasting below zero temperatures overnight and I certainly was not doubting it because as we drove further North and the sun dipped below the horizon of the Western Uplands of Wisconsin, I could definitely feel the plummeting temperatures even from inside our vehicle. Although my feet were very cold, I was safe and protected from the elements and at least we would be getting to the resort soon, I thought. I was starting to feel a little sleepy and weary from being on the road all day. I couldn’t wait to be able to relax and get some sleep! And then, suddenly, the lights flickered in the SUV’s cabin and the heater turned off on its own. There was a beeping coming from the dashboard that intensified the already tense situation. I was sure the vehicle would break down at any moment. What were we going to do? We were in the middle of nowhere, in the dark, with no sign of a gas station in sight with our three children! We couldn’t remember the last time we had seen a gas station so we weren’t sure whether to keep going, or to turn back. We definitely could not risk stopping, so we forged ahead, into the unknown. The only thing I could think of was to pray…
I was scared! Between my pleas to God, all I could think about was how we would surely end up stranded on the side of the highway overnight and freeze to death with our kids. As we continued driving and the beeping persistently reminded us of our pending doom, we finally saw it! There was a sign on the side of the highway indicating that there was a gas station just a few miles down the road. I hope we make it, I surely thought! The next thing I know, we are on the offramp and there it was - the first sign of life we had seen in miles off to the right. Thank God! We pulled into the parking lot and as soon as we stopped the car, it lost all power and shut off and would not start again. I could see a woman vacuuming the rug just inside the foggy, glass door. She looked like she was ready to go home! Come to find out, she was just about to lock up and do just that! We had made it in the nick of time. Praise Jesus! My kids’ father jumped out of the vehicle and rushed in to meet the woman to ask for help. Just then, I saw a minivan pull into the parking lot and then I noticed a small group of Christmas carolers that I had not noticed before. They were singing joyfully for our Lord right outside the gas station door. (I had never actually seen people Christmas caroling. I thought that only happened in the movies!) Next, I see the woman in the minivan get out and go into the gas station. At this point, I am overwhelmed with a song that I had been listening to a lot and I know it was the Holy Spirit that brought it to my lips when I turned around and saw my three kids fast asleep in the backseat.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, Your perfect love is casting out fear. And even when I'm caught in the middle of the storms of this life, I won't turn back. I know You are near. And I will fear no evil. For my God is with me. And if my God is with me, whom then shall I fear? Whom then shall I fear? Oh no, You never let go, through the calm and through the storm! Oh no, You never let go, in every high and every low. Oh no, You never let go, Lord, You never let go of me!
I sang in a quiet voice that filled the now even colder SUV. Tears were streaming down my cheeks as I tried to stay calm and focus on the words of the song coming out of my mouth. Eventually, my kids’ father came back to the vehicle and told me that we had just reached the only gas station that exists for miles and that, yes, they were indeed closing up for the night in a matter of minutes!
Seconds later, the woman who had gone into the station after my kids’ father (and whom I will never, ever forget) came out of the door after “just stopping by ON A WHIM to say ‘Hello!’” to her friend, the woman vacuuming. At the time, I believed it was “on a whim”, but over the years I have come to realize that this was and is a testament of God’s omnipotence, His faithfulness, and His love and compassion! He promises us regarding His omnipotence in Isaiah 55 verse 10-11 that just “as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” And, Psalm 91:3-4 certainly declares a clear message in regard to His faithfulness, love, and compassion for us when it reads: “Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” The woman, whose name is Cindy, did not stop by on a whim at all! She stopped by because God prompted her to do so at just the right time because He knew that His children needed Him and that only He could do what needed to be done; and He ultimately did this because He is not a man that He should lie and He promises faithfulness and, yes, He truly, truly loves us…
To wrap this precious story up with the little bow it deserves, I am so excited (even years later) to share with you that our angel in disguise, Cindy, helped move all of our luggage (kids and baby included) from our SUV into her minivan and drove us about an hour to our little cozy cabin in the woods. When we pulled up, she jumped out eagerly and unloaded our bags (and kids) with joy and a constant smile. She promised to come pick my kids’ father up the next day to take him to the mechanic shop near her house about 45 minutes away to pick our SUV- and she was faithful in doing so! She even turned the fireplace on and stayed a few minutes chatting until she saw that we were feeling settled in! Wow, it still blows my mind to this day to think about how God came through at just the right time and that we can EXPECT this of Him every time. His coming through may not always look exactly how we imagine or want it, but He never fails and you can be absolutely certain that He never lets go.
P.S. My family and I had the privilege of driving to Cindy’s house in Wisconsin years later to say “Hello!” and to thank her once again for her kindness, generosity, and selflessness on that cold winter’s night!
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