People Broken Down on the Side of the Road

by: Christine Laporte

“They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

On a cold January evening, on my way home from work, I spied out a few cars stranded by the roadside. It had been very cold so I suspect they lost power because fluids in the cars thickened and could no longer flow properly through the various systems. Or even a slippery surface will derail someone’s travel.

Fortunately, the vehicles were safely situated and unoccupied. But at some point, the people inside found themselves broken down on the side of the road. I can easily put myself in their situation because this has happened to me in the past. I wondered when their vehicles sputtered out of power if they had any passengers or were they alone. How long did they have to wait in the cold; were they dressed properly? Did they have someone to call for help? Did they have money to get the car towed AND any repairs fixed?

It didn’t take long before I saw a clear parallel between the drivers of those cars and the way life sometimes plays out for us. How many times have you found yourself stranded in a season of life, uncomfortably stuck, maybe in danger and in need of help? Although the waiting part is scary, and we sometimes aren’t sure who we can reach out to, we can be certain that in all situations God has a plan. And He’s the one to look to. In Psalm 121: 1-2 we read,

“1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth”.

Just like King David, we can know that during times when we are isolated, feeling abandoned and unable to go forward, the Lord is the One we look to for guidance and a solution. Take that relationship that seems to never come to fruition, the child that’s walking away from the Lord, or the job we dread waking up to. It’s natural to want to get the issue(s) settled, fixed, and immediately changed. However, in the midst of all of these circumstances the Holy Spirit can build character within us. We can gain insight and wisdom to use in the next trial, and be certain that El Roi, “the God who sees me” is not going to leave us here. 

Just like the cars stranded and broken down, help is on the way. And as we wait to be rescued, we can have peace and grow more dependent on our Heavenly Father. This is what we’re made for. He is our Father, Provider, Deliverer and Protector.