You're safe

?Regardless of whether I am training for a race or just running for health purposes and no matter the distance I always make sure to throw in about a mile walk. It might sound crazy but what I have found is this is the perfect way to transition into the next phase of the day. 

A couple of weeks back, I had finished running and was well into the walk portion of my journey. Out of nowhere, a police car came to a screeching halt right next to me but before I could say a word the officer started in. “Sir, we just got a call from a lady in this area saying there are a couple of fairly large dogs roaming the streets”, he explained. I looked back at him and said, “Really?” “Yes”, he replied heartily. 

He paused a second or two and said, “How far are you from home?” I told him I lived a few subdivisions over. He smiled and said, “Well, if you promise not to call the station and aren’t too worried about what your neighbors might think, I don’t have a problem giving you a ride home just to make sure you are safe.” I looked back at him and said, “No thanks; I’m safe.” I could tell it caught him completely off guard and before driving away he asked one last time if I was sure I would pass on his offer. 

I assured him that I was safe.

On the surface, taking that ride seemed like the logical thing for me to have done but I turned it down. I turned it down not because I was worried about what my pulling up in a police car would say to the neighbors or how they would react. No I turned that ride down because before leaving from home, just like my father has always done…I remembered to pray. I prayed and as a result I was far more concerned with what my taking that ride would say to God and how He might react. 

***

All too often we send up prayers and at the first sign of a challenge we abandon that prayer. We abandon it and never once think of how disappointed or offended God may be or how He may react. We ask Him to cover and protect us from this or that and at the first sign of this or that getting the upper hand we take a ride “home”. We pray and promise to follow His lead no matter how rough the road may get. But as soon as a ride comes along and offers to take us home…we take it…Only to later find out that home…wasn’t what or where we thought it would be.

Friend before you ever bail out, give up, quit or take a ride home again at the first hint of trouble stop and remember that you prayed and because you did…

I can assure you. You’re safe.