When I was a young girl growing up, I remember always hearing my Mommy say “through dangers seen and unseen, He is a keeper.” While I knew the He that she referenced was our Beloved Savior, I never really understood what she meant. As I have gotten older and have been blessed to grow in His grace, mercy, and strength, I have come to know exactly what she meant, and I often find myself saying the same thing. This weekend, I was SO thankful that through dangers seen and unseen, He is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble! Psalm 46:1 NIV Let me explain…
My youngest sister has been blessed with a remarkable athletic talent, and she is currently playing semi-professional basketball while on break from her league in Morocco. The team’s practice facility is an hour away from our hometown, so she makes the commute one hour each way 4 times a week for games and practice. On Saturday, my youngest sister was driving as usual and happened to have a childhood friend, who was visiting from out of town, accompany her on this particular trip. As they were on the road, she was abruptly cut off by a driver. As she maneuvered to the right shoulder to avoid hitting the back of the car, the narrow gravel covered shoulder caused her car to slip from the road and she slid down an embankment. As she slid, she could not regain control of the car and they slammed into a very large tree branch. The impact flipped the car on the passenger’s side and damaged the front hood. Her front bumper was pushed in a way that prevented her driver’s side door from opening.
She was able to reach her cell phone to call for help, but she did not have reception. But our Beloved in His wisdom, grace, and timing, allowed one of her teammates, who “happened” to be driving several cars behind her, see what happened and rushed to her aid. My sister and her friend were able to climb out of the driver’s side window and although they were a little shaken up, neither was hurt!!!! PTL!!! As they climbed out of the car and ventured back up the embankment they realized that if it were not for the large fallen tree branch, her car would have continued to plummet down 4 more feet into a creek, out of sight and out of view of traffic and passersby. Isn’t He AMAZING?!?!
The first thing that my sister proclaimed once she got out of her car, was that “He is a keeper!” My sister has been blessed to watch my Mommy battle cancer and totally trust our Beloved. Through growing closer to my Beloved when I was walking my road toward Restoration, I was able to share so many testimonies of coming to know Him and desiring to be closer to Him more and more. We often share scriptures and daily devotionals, and I shared Erin’s tried and true 3×5 card method to scripture memorization!!
I am SO thankful that my Beloved protected my sister and provided refuge from harm, but I am SO much more thankful that she recognized Him as her Beloved and honors Him in all that she does! I want to encourage anyone who is currently so deep in a storm that you don’t see a way out. I want to encourage you to rest in this fact, the battle is not yours! He has placed you on a stage for the world to see what He is doing in your life, so that someone else may grow in His grace, strength, and mercy, and come to Him as their Lord, Savior, and Beloved.
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1, NIV