Walking by Faith One Day at a TimeSample

God's Got My Back

After my husband left the house for an international trip, the phone rang and awakened me from my morning slumber.

It was Gerry in a panic because he'd left the house without his passport. We only live twenty minutes from the airport, but there wasn't enough time for him to drive home and get back to the airport before his flight.

"Rae Lynn, can you please bring me my passport?" he pleaded.

I quickly got dressed, covered my bed-head hair with a ball cap, and was on the road in record time.

Adhering to my husband's instructions to watch the speed limit signs at the airport, I kept my eye on the speedometer. After navigating through the confusing terminal thoroughfares, I finally saw my husband up ahead on the curb waiting. At the same moment, I noticed a police car to my right. I looked down at the dashboard to make sure that I wasn't speeding. I was actually driving under the speed limit.

I pulled over to the curb and handed my husband his passport, but at the very moment, the police car pulled up behind me with its lights on. With wide eyes, I turned to my husband and assured him I had not been speeding. My heart was pounding so hard; I could feel the pulse in my neck. I couldn't imagine what I had done wrong.

The officer sauntered up to my car window and informed me of my error, "Ma'am, you ran a stop sign back there."

Apparently in my fervent search to follow the signs leading to my husband's location, I completely missed a very important sign, STOP.

My husband came to my aid and explained the situation. After pleading our case, the sympathetic officer replied, "Well Ma'am, I'll tell you what. If your license comes back clean, and everything else checks out okay, I'll let you go this time."

I assured him my record was not only clean, it was squeaky clean. I'd never had a ticket in my life.

I handed him my driver's license and proof of insurance. After looking them over a few moments he informed me, "Ma'am, this insurance card has expired."

This just wasn't my day!

We spent the next few minutes explaining to the officer how our insurance renewal came in the mail only a few days earlier but we just hadn't put the new card in the vehicle yet. After a phone call to our insurance company, verifying appropriate vehicle coverage, the policeman finally agreed to let me go with a warning.

Did I deserve to be punished for my negligence that day? Yes. I broke the law, albeit unintentionally. But thankfully, God sent a compassionate police officer to bestow mercy on me and give me a second chance.

When we find ourselves in difficult situations, I'm glad to know that God's got our back.

Life Application

Think of a time when you didn't get what you deserved. What did that experience teach you about God and how has it changed your perspective on mercy and grace?

Prayer

Lord, I'm so very grateful for your mercy and grace that covers me day by day. As I interact with others around me, help me to extend that same kind of mercy and grace when I interact with others. Amen.