“God with Us!”

                                                          

     

"When can we pick out the tree?"

    December isn’t exactly the month a person would think of first when planning a trip to Michigan. Brrr! However, Al and I decided on the spur of the moment to go east for a family visit before Christmas, due to some obligations which would prevent us from getting back there until next late next spring.

      Because we were going to leave LA in the early afternoon and arrive in Detroit after dark, coats, neck scarves, hats and gloves had to be accessible against the bitter cold Michigan night. It was hard preparing for cold weather when it was in the low 70’s at home.

        As it turned out, our flight was delayed an hour due to the late arrival of the plane from the east which had been held up by bad weather. By the time we finally picked up the rental car, it was 11:00 p.m. Thankfully, it wasn’t snowing, just very cold and we were able to get bundled up in a hurry. Before long we were on the freeway, making the long drive through Detroit to our hotel in a suburb of the city.

      With the three hour time change and the long flight, dinner had been skipped. Al and I decided to stop at a restaurant first, before checking into the hotel. As we got off the exit, there was a loud banging sound, which could only mean one thing—a flat tire.  Thankfully, the restaurant was less than a block away. Al was able to drive there without any further trouble. By that time, the clock had struck midnight.

      We were able to stay inside and eat while waiting for the roadside service truck to arrive. If the blowout had occurred on the freeway in the middle of the night, it would have been a serious problem. It was amazing that we were so close to our destination when it happened and were able to get help quickly.

      When we finally reached the hotel, it was almost two o’clock in the morning. The woman who checked us in must have felt sorry for us, because she upgraded us to an impressive two-room suite with a fancy Jacuzzi tub. I would have been happy to have a bed in the attic by that time. It was a nice ending to a long, tiring day.

     The next day, we drove back to the airport and exchanged the rental car for another one, which was more reliable. The week turned out to be packed full of fun activities and special family times, including visits to relatives in Ohio and Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was nice being there to see the excitement of our two youngest grandsons in picking out and decorating the Christmas tree, worshiping with the whole family on Sunday morning and attending two concerts in which Al’s daughter, Shanda, performed and a band concert put on by our granddaughter’s high school band, among other things. December was a good month to go to Michigan after all!

      We are both so grateful for the Lord’s protection, not only while traveling to, from and around Michigan but constantly, day and night. Knowing He is with us brings great comfort and peace even in unexpected and potentially dangerous situations. As the celebration of Jesus’ birth draws near, may we trust Him completely with every aspect of our lives. Jesus… Emmanuel (“Immanuel” in Hebrew)… God with us. Praise the Lord!

“All of this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’—which means ‘God with us.’” Matthew 1:22-23 NIV