I was driving in my first snow storm! Well, actually, if you are a native of the North you probably would not necessarily call it a snow storm, but for a “California girl” like me it definitely qualified as a snow storm.

My husband, two of our children, and I had made a quick trip to Colorado to see family. On our way home, we had an extra vehicle. So my husband and son were in one vehicle and my daughter, my niece, and I were in the second car.

As we approached Flagstaff, Arizona, it started to get dark and the snow started to fall. The three of us girls were so excited for the snow! We were laughing and singing. It was beautiful! That lasted for a few short minutes and then I was no longer laughing. The snow came so quickly that I could not see the lines in the road. Other cars were sliding off the road into ditches. My husband and son were in front of us, and I no longer could see them. We did not have good traction, and I felt totally “out of control.” I started to panic! My cell phone did not have any service, but that was okay, I thought, we were prepared—we had walkie-talkies! But the cars were so far apart, the walkie-talkies did not work either. Praise the Lord, my husband slowed down and waited for me to catch up.

Over the walkie-talkie I told my husband, “I can’t do this! I am pulling over!” He told me we couldn’t do that (we could not even see the side of the road, we would get stuck, people would think we were a lane and hit us, etc.). Of course, I did not want to hear any of that, I just wanted to be off the mountain and on dry ground!

So, my husband told me to go ahead of him. Then, for the next forty miles, he stayed right behind my car and kept talking to me on the walkie-talkie. He told me where to steer so I would be driving in a lane. He told me when other cars were coming, so I would not panic. He encouraged me the whole time, giving me stepby- step instructions. I kept asking, “How much longer?” (It takes a long time to go forty miles when you are only driving 10 mph.) He would always say, “We are almost there.” Thanks to the Lord and to my husband, we finally did make it safely to Flagstaff where we spent the night.

The next morning the snow had stopped and the sun was shining. The snow plows had cleared the roads, and the rest of the drive home was uneventful. On the way home, however, I did think about the road we are on called “life.” Many times the conditions can change rather quickly, as well. One minute we are praising the Lord, and the next minute we can become fearful of the journey. We begin to worry and fret over things that we cannot change. We cannot see what lies ahead, and that is bothersome to us. We feel out of control.

When times like that occur, we need to remember that God is always near. He is there to guide us down the right paths. He will strengthen us when we are weak. He will give comfort. He will keep us from falling. We just need to listen to Him. We serve an awesome God. Remember to thank the Lord for guiding us safely until we reach Heaven’s shores.

Psalm 32:8, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.”