Last week, my family and I traveled to Florida for Spring Break, to visit our relatives there.  The days leading up to the trip were hectic, as I rushed to pack everything and still keep up with the other demands of life.  Our 4 year old was sick and things were just not going as planned.  Hours before our scheduled departured, I felt uneasy and heavy in my heart.  I knew the Lord was speaking, I just wasn’t quite ready to listen yet.

As we prepared to leave, my son threw up, which seemed to be the nail in the coffin.  I knew then that God was saying, “don’t go tonight”.  It made perfect sense to wait and leave the next morning, when things were under control.  Afraid of what my husband or our family out of town would think, I kept my convictions to myself and we headed down the road.

It was not a peaceful or pleasant trip.  After many stops to try and help my son feel better, we decided to start looking for a place to stay.  After more than 50 phone calls and dozens of stops at hotels, we came up empty.  We drove hours longer, only to discover that every place was booked.  (Let me interject here that my kids aren’t “car sleepers”).  Around 2:30 a.m. we parked the car and tried to get a couple hours of sleep.  Little did we know, we parked next to a train track.  By 4:00 a.m., 3 trains had went by and we decided to move on.  At this point, everyone is crying, and my husband is feeling sick.  It is dark and starting to rain.  And I feel so small and stupid, because it’s clear why we should’ve waited.  It’s evident I didn’t listen to the Father’s voice.

As we drove on, I began to pray and ask God to show me the lesson in this catastrophe – because I knew there must be something teachable in this situation.  As I look up, we are driving behind a semi that says “WILSON” in large letters, lined in red lights.  God had my undivided and very awake attention.  And then I heard Him say, “There is no covering outside of the will of God”.  “There is no peace, no security, and no place to rest….you can drive all night and never find it”.  I sat in awe.  Such strong remorse filled my heart and yet overwhelming peace.  I repented for my inactions and felt so thankful, that even when we get it wrong, God speaks.  He uses those dark and rainy moments to teach us the value of His goodness and trusting His voice.

It’s crazy that so often we pray about hearing the voice of the Lord, and yet when we do, we’re still unsure.  Insecurity and fear of rejection steal the very thing we were looking for.  And we end up outside of His will.  Stuck without a place to go.  God is our covering, our refuge, and our peace.  Im not only learning to hear His voice, but to trust it when He speaks.