“Ma’am, You Are Going the Wrong Way”

God can help us in many ways, even when we don’t know we need help. Here’s the story of a time I’m convinced God helped me and my two small children.

“The angel of the LORD surrounds those who fear him, and he delivers them. Taste and see that the LORD is good! How blessed is the person who trusts in him!” (Psalm 34:7-8, International Standard Version).

I can easily identify with these verses many times over, as I am certain that many of you can also. It can be helpful to remember the times God has intervened in our lives.

Help in time of need

One example that is vivid in my mind happened after my husband and I were transferred to the Tennessee area in 1967. At that time we had two children and one on the way. Since we had moved from California to Tennessee, we were now closer to my parents, who were living in Wisconsin at that time.

My husband made plans for me to take the children to visit my parents, since I hadn’t seen them in several years and they had not seen the children. I was to travel by train from Knoxville to Chicago and then to Milwaukee. My parents would pick us up at the train station in Milwaukee and drive the rest of the way to their home.

The trip from Knoxville to Chicago had a stop in between that required us to change trains. I had to take my luggage and the two little ones, aged 3 and 1½, and go to the train I was to board next.

I was pushing a cart filled with our luggage while carrying my son in my arms, with my 3-year-old daughter walking beside me and walking as fast as I could under the circumstances, when a gentleman came walking very fast from another direction and yelled, “Ma’am, you are going the wrong way. Here, let me help you.”

He took my cart and my daughter’s hand and walked in front of me to the train that said “CHICAGO” overhead. Then I noticed I had been headed toward the one that said “NEW YORK CITY”!

He helped me into the train, unloaded my luggage and put it where it belonged, made sure we had a seat and helped my daughter into her seat. When I turned to say “thank you,” he was gone! I looked all over for him, but he had disappeared!

God knew

I truly believe that he was sent by God. God knew that I needed help, even when I didn’t know it myself.

God will always look out for us if we trust in Him!

“You trust in the LORD for protection. You have made God Most High your place of safety. … He will command his angels to protect you wherever you go” (Psalm 91:9, 11, Easy to Read Version).

Judy and her husband, Bill, a retired pastor, reside in East Bernstadt, Kentucky, and help serve the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, congregations in London, Kentucky, and Knoxville and Johnson City, Tennessee. She is a mother of four, grandmother of 10 and a great-grandmother. Her passion is reading God’s Word and writing encouraging articles. She is a freelance writer for Examiner.com and also writes for the TN COGWA website.