"edifying"

Just got back from my little overnight trip to Fort Worth with the girls....I just looked at my journal entry that I wrote before I left,

"Things seem to be working out. Why am I surprised? I know you will go before us, keeping us safe. And above all may this be a time that is benefitual. Spiritually edifying..."

I can honestly tell you I couldnt have had such direct answer to prayer! Our trip was great-but not because it was "perfect"...it was great because I have never felt so....mortal....and yet I have also never felt so safe and secure in the hand of God.

The girls and I were driving along, I had just turned onto a different stretch of road and we were going at a fairly fast pass ( the speed limit was 70) when all of a sudden the car in the right lane sped up and past me, then swirved in front of my car ( almost as though he wanted to cut us off), in a split second we would have hit head to head, if the car had not fish tailed away, giving me enough room to move into the right lane...from which we then watched the car flip in the air several times before landing in a ditch full of water....

We pulled over to see the guy climb out of his car..by then tons of cars had pulled over and we were actually in danger of getting stuck...so all we had left to do was to drive on....after saying a prayer for the guy in the wrecked car, and a thanks for saving all of our lives.

Later in the trip ( this is lots less dramatic but still)....we missed our turn to our hotel and found ourselves in the middle of down town Fort Worth, not really knowing where to go or what to do ( the problem with mapquest, is that if you somehow get off your directions there is no way of really getting back except by luck)....but, by a miracle I was able to some how get my barrings enough to get us to a part of town that I "sorta" knew and then got us to our hotel by an alternative route....during this time of aimless driving, I had to turn around on a small side street....in backing up, I saw that a car was parked on the other side of the road and I was aware that I wasnt going to hit said car...but then all of a sudden I heard a scream and I looked harder and saw that there was a women standing by the car all dressed in black...and i was seriously this close to hitting her....we made it to the hotel safe and sound...and you know, we really could have driven from Nacogdoches to Fort Worth without any incident at all...and I would have thanked God and I would have been grateful for his protection etc.
But, it seemed that this Friday night, He decided to SHOW us all the defenses and fortresses He puts up for His children...It seemed that at every turn I saw what could have happened if His hand of Grace had not been there....it was as if He showed all the death, danger and distruction that might touch us at any possible moment- yet, we are His...

The rest of our trip was full of good fun, visiting the crazy "Winter Wonderland" lights place.....where we posed with "decaying Jesus and the Last Super"...ask me about this sometime. good story)....buying FOUR pairs of shoes in the right size! and best of all Thida and my time at Billy Bob's the Biggest Honky Tonk in the world...it was absolutely fantastic, really and I'm glad I could share something so purely texan with her on her last night with me. ( I'm going to miss my little wife ;-) !)

But, ultimately, this weekend I learned more about my Savior and His love for me ( for it is undeniable that He saved my life several times!) and that made the weekend truly wonderful.

I am extremely tired. And my bed has probably missed me...


edit: Because things are always better told lots of different ways, I seriously recommend Christa and Briana's blogs that also talk about what happened....