Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place—

the Most High, who is my refuge—

no evil shall be allowed to befall you,

no plague come near your tent.

For he will command his angels concerning you

to guard you in all your ways.

On their hands they will bear you up,

lest you strike your foot against a stone.

Psalm 91:9 - 12

By this afternoon, after forty-eight hours cooped up in the house, coughing, blowing and sleeping, I was desperate to get out of the house.  Frankly, a need for caffeine may also have played into the desire to escape.  Grabbing the computer and book bag, I headed off to the Starbucks near Miller Park.

About two years after I bought my car, the trunk developed an annoying habit of popping open unexpectedly, generally when it is raining or cold.  While irritating, it doesn't happen frequently enough to warrant taking it in for repair, at least not yet.

Halfway to the coffeeshop, the trunk unlatched itself and started to rise.  With a sigh, I pulled over, waited for traffic to clear, and stepped out to slam it shut.  At the same time I thought what I usually try to think whenever there is an unexpected delay in my travel plans:  "Well, Lord, if there is a reason you want me to be slowed down a bit, I won't argue with you." 

As I approached the intersection of Greenfield and Miller Park Way where I needed to make my final turn, I could see something wasn't quite right.  Two cars were mashed together in the intersection, their owners standing next to them.  Not only was it evident that the accident had just happened, but that had I been thirty seconds earlier, it may have been me in the crinkled up eastbound car.

All too often we go about our days oblivious to the dangers around us, catastrophes avoided by seconds, disasters avoided by the thinnest of margins. Unaware, we go merrily on our way, missing the chance to thank God for His protection.

True, there is no way to say for sure I would have been involved in that accident had I not had to stop to close a trunk with a faulty latch.  But I don't believe in coincidences, preferring to believe this is one visible instance of God's protection on my life.

Dear Heavenly Father, You are the God who is our Protector, the One who shelters us in the shadow of Your wings.  Even when we are unaware of the dangers around us, You are alert, keeping us safe from harm physically, emotionally and spiritually.
In Jesus' name, Amen