FOUND by an Aggie on I-45

Several of you have asked about my Houston trip.

My beautiful God orchestrated for me to meet a beautiful, brilliant, brave Annette at Starbucks. It meant so much to me!! God found her in Houston and has used "Annie's Eyes"to touch my heart deeply. You took a risk Annette (you know, the ax murder thingy) and I can't thank you enough for offering me a tall drink of Living Water, a taste of HIM. You know, she really is tall though she looks short in her pictures. Then, I joined precious friends I met last summer at Dan Allender's weeklong life-changing seminar. We will probably remain lifelong friends. It's intriguing how God binds like hearts together as we've all been through similar experiences and so speak into each other's lives.

Driving back home, I noticed the gas gauge was on one-quarter of a tank full or empty, however you look at life. I planned to stop real soon. But, something wrong happened---the inaccurate gas gauge FELL to below empty without warning. The gauge has been dancing up and down lately. I began calling out to my good God in my foolishness to rescue me and protect me for I get so SCARED in situations like this that I will get beat up or raped, again.

In the near distance was Madisonville, about a one-mile stone's throw away. The TEXACO sign proudly pencilled up through a mile of trees. I careened over to the bumpy shoulder of the road. OUT OF GAS. Maybe the shoulder isn't the best place to land, so I aborted the idea and drove down the embankment into a ditch hoping to get enough traction to land on the frontage road. What did NOT go through my head was that it had been raining and the grassy green ditch was watersoaked. I SUNK deep into mud. Not only was I OUT OF GAS but now I needed A TOW TRUCK.

Alone.
Afraid.
Adventure.
Ambivalence.

Peace flooded my I-45 soul and that was so from my God.
I threw on my tennis shoes, got out of my defunct Pathfinder and sunk into mud up to my ankles. Locked it up, and began my mile trek to the Texaco. A huge white Texas truck pulled off of I-45 and maneuvred the ditch with his 4-wheel drive. With Texas dirt spewing everywhere, he headed straight toward me. My first thought was from Annette's blog history---what if he is an ax murderer? I was already praying so I just stepped up the requests and strained without my glasses to see who was driving. Relief flooded my soul for he looked just like an Aggie.
The HUGE white TEXAS truck (don't ask me what kind, I only know colors) spitted mud at me as it stopped.

Texas truck guy: Do you need some help, ma'am?
Me: Are you an Aggie?
Texas truck guy: YES, MA'AM
Me: I knew it'
Texas truck guy: And you won't believe what I have for you. LOOK what I just bought. And he holds up a brand new package which I don't have a clue what it is.
Me: What is it?
Texas truck guy: A tow strap.
Me: WHAT?!!!???
Texas truck guy: I just bought a tow strap and I can get you out of that ditch.
Me: That's unbelievable. When did you buy that thing?
Texas truck guy: About 30 minutes ago, a thought ran through my mind that I didn't have a tow strap and I ought to get one on the way back to Texas A&M so I stopped and bought one.
Me: Son, that's God putting that thought in your brain for me. I think He just showed up.
Texas truck guy: Okay. I can get you out, ma'am and tow you to the station.

W A I T...Do I have to stay in this car for you to tow it? I mean, I don't want to be behind a big white TEXAS truck when I am not in control. It was a lesson in relinquishing control to be towed. Scary but smooth. You have NO CONTROL. It so made me think of my life---I think I am in control and I may be in the driver's seat, but it's God in control if we are living by faith not by sight.

So what's the moral of this story? IDK. You tell me. All weekend in Houston my God had been talking to me about Psalm 46:10 to cease striving and know that He is God and that He will show up in my life. I just spent a week reading in Genesis all about God showing up for people like Hagar in the desert---see right over there, it's water for you in the desert. Isaiah 48:21. All I need to do is ASK, SEEK, KNOCK. Matthew 7:7. Somehow, I want to FIND HIM and do everything I can to find HIM. But He finds us. How arrogant of me to think I can make it happen. I had even just posted about all the ways God shows up from my week's chronological reading, when we don't even expect it. And there He was, once again, on I-45 telling an Aggie to stop and buy a tow strap for me knowing I would need it in 30 minutes. My beautiful God showed up in Madisonville and reminded me once again that I can be still and know that He is God. He was in Houston. He's here in Madisonville. He's in my Pathfinder. He's in my heart.

And He keeps bringing that message back to me for it's firmly decided. He is with me. He is with you. Gen 41:32

Gig 'em Aggies!

And always on my mind is my friend Cyd...see post below....today is Day #8 of being abducted by gunpoint in Afghanistan! I hope with every fiber of my being that she is released immediately!