Kathi stayed late at a friend’s house and was compelled to drive home after dark, during a fierce thunderstorm. With little driving experience, Kathi trembled as she drove her Mom’s car. Her cell phone lay upon the passenger seat. Suddenly, the phone rang and Kathi looked over to see that her Mom was calling. Instantly, she heard the road noise change, and she looked back just in time to realize that she had driven straight on a hairpin curve! Off the road, down a steep bank and straight into a tree, she crashed the car. The air bag went off, and Kathi felt as though she had strayed into a dream. Pain in her face, chest, and back awakened her to what had happened. The lights were out in the car. Kathi smelled the sharp odor of gasoline. Her cell phone was nowhere to be found. In a rush of panic and fear, Kathi cried out a prayer, something she had never done before, “God, help me.”
Why does someone who does not know God pray to him in their hour of need? Kathi, a teenager of a well-regarded middle class family, was never taught to pray, had never been to a Christian Church, and only knew Christian teenagers in passing. Her parents were the source of her protection and love.
“There are no atheists in foxholes,” is a quote attributed to WWII correspondent Ernie Pyle (who was killed during combat in 1945). I like that quote, but I believe that there are atheists and idol worshipers all over the world, including in foxholes. Yet, God always has been there for all people, including the atheists. The Holy Spirit is the voice of God that speaks to everyone’s heart. Many people do not perceive the voice, or heed its guidance to their conscience, yet when tragedy comes to them a great number of people become aware of God and they have no doubt that he can help them. We have a glimpse of God from teachings in the Christian Bible, and if we are Christians who have a personal (direct) connection with God, through the Holy Spirit, our sense of peace, comfort, and well-being is high, no matter what tragedy befalls us.
Kathi might very well have begun her life anew by turning to God. God may have helped her and she might have become one of the most devoted Christians of her generation. Or, she might have found her cell phone and kicked God to the curb, so to speak. Any time is the right time for you to seek God, and it is common for tragedy to be the catalyst. But, you should ask yourself now if you intend to forever be a child who runs to God, like you might to your Mama, only when something is not right in your life. God should be understood by you, invited by you to be the guiding influence in your life, worshipped by you in prayer every day, maybe dozens of times each day.
As a Christian, you are supposed to connect with other Christians in a church, led by a pastor that God has genuinely called to teach you the behavior that pleases God. You, your family, and especially your children, should not discover God at the point of death, but at the beginning of life and God’s church should grow because you and generations of your family are that growth.
Today, people turn to the internet to search for answers, and they will get answers, like this article that I wrote. If you believe that messages can fly through cyberspace to help you in your earthly life, then you should be receptive to God communicating his love to your heart. Pray to Father God; ask him for his grace in your life.
