by Cali Harris
A recent Monday morning drive to work was on a highway covered by four inches of slick, slushy snow. As the traffic moved at about 25 miles per hour, a car sitting at a complete stop in an exit lane decided to merge back onto the highway at the last minute—right in front of me. I knew I would either hit the car if I couldn’t slow down in time, or be rear-ended by the cars behind me if I slowed too quickly. As I compressed my brakes, the back end of my car fishtailed into the next lane of traffic. I slowed down enough to avoid hitting the car in front of me, and looked in my rear-view mirror to see how close the cars were behind me. I watched a van, only about 4 feet directly behind my car, slow down and fishtail exactly parallel to my car; we moved in unison together, avoiding any collision. The van then pulled around and passed me, and the cars behind me all slowed in time. By man’s standards, avoiding an accident in this situation was highly improbable—in fact, the other drivers probably thought, “That was a close call!”
I was thankful for the protection I knew God had provided. In my thankfulness, something struck me: it was not a close call. God is in total control of my life, and whether or not I had ended up in an accident, I know God would have provided the protection He promises. Just this past Friday, my sister, Shelly, and nephew, Nicolas, were in a car accident that essentially totaled their car. God intervened and protected them from serious injury—another example of what would be a close call by this world’s standards, but was confirmation of God’s complete involvement in our lives.
These recent situations were good preparation for the times ahead, in which only God will be able to intervene and protect. I now more fully understand that I don’t have to worry about “close calls,” because God is in close control.
