This was my first time driving through a storm in the United States, and my wife Kim was with me. The storm was intense, with heavy rain that quickly flooded many places, even the interstate highways. Many drivers pulled into gas stations to wait for the storm to pass. After praying and thinking it over, we chose to keep going. We were thankful to make it through safely, especially since we didn’t want to get stuck far from anywhere.
This happened in Texas in May 2016, after we had been traveling for almost a week. Kim joined me at Andrews University near the end of my dissertation project. We planned a road trip from Michigan to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, then crossed back into the U.S. on the American side. It was one of our longest trips, and we tried to visit as many national parks as we could.
Everything was going well until we got to Texas. When the rain got heavier, we stopped at a gas station and listened to a radio report about the storm. The broadcast warned drivers to avoid flooded areas and, if possible, stay off the roads. We prayed and trusted God to keep us safe. After thinking about our choices, we decided to take a different back road and keep going.
The storm stayed strong, and only a few vehicles were on the road. When morning came, we saw the storm's results: semi-trucks, eighteen-wheelers, vans, and cars lay on their sides or flipped over, likely caught in the storm overnight. We felt for those people, and we were also very thankful for God’s protection.
Storms can show up without warning, whether they are real storms or struggles in our lives. The way we handle them depends on our trust in Jesus, who brings peace even when life feels out of control. He tells us, "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). Because He has overcome the world, He can help us through any storm.
-Pastor Lim
