Blog by Jenny Rowan
When I was 5 years old and living in Germany, where my dad was stationed in the Air Force, I faced an epic snow storm across my path. See we lived in the beautiful countryside in a small German village. It took me one hour by school bus to get to my kindergarten class on base. This one unforgettable morning, I remember waking up to it snowing. My mom got me bundled up and walked me to the bus stop. I was the second stop and when the bus came we noticed that there were no kids from the first bus stop on the bus. I got on the bus and waved goodbye to my mom. What we did not realize is that it had been snowing for quite some time and the snow was really coming down hard now. I was alone on a bus in the middle of an epic snow storm!! Leaving our quite little village our bus came across a massive field to cross. As the driver started to cross the field he got the bus stuck in the now rising and very deep snow. So on his little walkie talkie I heard him communicating in German with someone. Then off the bus he went when a taxi had come to get us. I remember him opening the bus doors and motioning for me to come. When I saw the bus doors open I realized that it was even too deep for me to walk and the bus driver was telling me to get on his back. He carries me to the “safety” of the taxi to only realize that the taxi was now stuck and as the tires rolled, the men were shoveling around the tires, then the taxi gets on his walkie talkie and here comes a tow truck with a massive shovel on the front of it. We then transfer onto the tow truck, hitch the taxi on the tow truck and we all make it out of the massive field. From the field we enter into another city where a van awaits us and then begins to transport us to the school bus headquarters. There we pull in and they shower me with little trinkets to my hearts delight. I remember as if it was yesterday, a pen on a string, erasers, stickers, and CANDY – the secret to putting a smile on any stranded 5 year olds face. I remember them calling my mom and me getting on the phone and saying Hi Mommy. I’m great!! As if I had just conquered climbing Mt Everest. See what I did not realize was at home my little 3 year old brother was having lunch with my mom and at this time mom had realized that this snow storm was pretty bad and she had sent her little girl on the bus. Her friends were calling her about buses loaded with kids stranded across different school routes and she was worried!! My little brother bowed his head at lunch time and said a simple yet profound prayer. “Dear Lord. Stop the snow storm so my sister can come home.” You know what happened? My mom said in the instant of that faith filled prayer, by a little 3 year old who saw worry in the face of his mom, and a raging snow storm outside, God heard that prayer and instantly the snow stopped and the sun came out. I was put back in the van and brought safely back home.
That day in my little 5 year old life, I was faced with an epic snow storm across my path. I was given 4 vehicles to help me—a bus, a taxi, a snow plow, and a van. All to bring me to safety and ultimately back HOME!!
Psalm 119:105 NKJV
“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
At the age of 7 years my parents got me to read the One Year Bible and I read it every year from the age of 7 to 18 years old. That is 12 times in a row. I am forever grateful that they instilled the importance of reading the word of God. Charles Spurgeon said “Visit many good books, but live in the Bible.”
I remember reading about someone in the Bible who was going through a pretty epic storm of his own. His name is Gideon. The back story is that the Israelites had come into the Promised Land but had now turned away from God. They were worshipping other gods like Baal. And now were being attacked by their enemies the Midianites. The Midianites would come to their fields and steal all their crops. They had nothing for themselves or for their animals. The people were driven from their homes and forced to hide in the caves in the mountains. This was going on for 7 long years. And then the people cried out to God for help.
If anyone could raise grain they hid it in pits and empty jars so the Midianites could not find it. So here is where Gideon is introduced he was preparing wheat in secret. When the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said in Judges 6:12 “The Lord is with you, you are a brave man, Gideon. Go out boldly, and save your people from the Midianites.”
But Gideon answered vs 15 NKJV “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” v16 And the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.”
I LOVE how the Lord looks at Gideon and sees bravery where Gideon saw weakness, sees a leader when Gideon saw a nobody, sees victory when all Gideon has been seeing was defeat, sees salvation when Gideon saw fear.
You know Gideon’s name means “cutter “or “cutter of trees”. It didn’t mean Warrior or Great Prophet, but it doesn’t matter what his name means or what he thought of himself. It matters what God declares! It matters how God lights your path. And that day God sent an angel to tell him. “I will be with you and you shall win!” Gideon and his army had a great victory from their enemies and were freed forever from the Midianites. What an epic storm for Gideon. But God used many different vehicles of faith, power and obedience to bring His people HOME!!
From Gideon’s example we can learn that no matter how great the odds against us may be, our Faithful God is sovereign, and He will always see us through whatever battles we face in life, as long as we remain faithful to His calling and obedient to His commands.
Proverbs 3:5-6 NASB
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
Maybe you are in a storm or a battle and it’s been long and hard. Know that God sees you, He adores you. He sees beauty and strength and courage and bravery. He will provide the means the vehicles the path to bring you HOME, to give you peace, and to shine His light on you and yours!!