Anxiety Update

So, I’m home safe and sound. My adventure to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan went off without a hitch, for the most part. We did have an engine light come on when we were only 1 ½ hours from home. We found a car repair place and they said if it isn’t blinking then we had nothing to worry about. Well, it wasn’t blinking so we said a prayer, laid everything in God’s hands, and continued our drive to Marquette (another 5 hours away). We got there just fine, and my brother was able to help us unhook the battery to try and reset the computer. That worked. When we hooked everything back up, the light was gone and we had no further problems the rest of the trip.

I remember my anxiety over driving across the Mackinaw Bridge that I wrote about a couple of weeks ago. There were many God sightings during that 10-minute part of the trip. Answers to prayer to be exact. There were no thunderstorms (there was a 40% chance). There was a High Wind Warning instructing semi-trucks to proceed at 20 mph. I was worried that we’d get stuck behind a truck and have to take that much longer to get across the bridge (cars could drive 40 mph). That didn’t happen. God arranged for us to have nobody driving around us. There was no one within a hundred yards of us before or after. It felt like we were all alone on the bridge. That was a good thing in my book. No pressure to drive faster or slower or to drive on the grated lane on the bridge. Smooth sailing. However, I did notice that the paved lane on the southbound side was closed for maintenance for quite a long strip of the bridge. I prayed that it wouldn’t be there on our way home or that God would work in me to give me the courage and peace of mind to drive on the grated lane of the bridge. God answered both prayers in a way: some of the paved lane was closed, but not as much as when we went up on Friday. And, I did not get stressed, panicked, or afraid when it came time to change lanes and drive on the grates. Besides, I was in the middle of the bridge and could not stop driving or go back. God gave me the courage I needed when I needed it. I praised Him as we were driving and when we reached the end of the bridge.

It all reminded me of the Serenity Prayer: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Trusting God is the only real way to gain security and peace in this world.