White Out

Last Sunday was our first real taste of Winter here in Nebraska. I was hoping that the weather man would be wrong with his forecast as I loaded up my five year old to head to Holdrege (to drop him off) and then to Kearney for Minister's Retreat. Snow began to fall just as we left Omaha which had me wondering how much had fallen on the interstate going west. My first hour and a half was pleasant considering the amount of snow falling. The wind was drifting the snow lightly over the road and visibility was fairly clear. It was sort of cool to watch as I was driving and listening to "How to Train Your Dragon" and a sermon cd simultaneously.
But when I reached the Grand Island exit, things worsened considerably. The outside lane began to disappear under the coating of tightly packed snow. I slowed from 70ish to 55-60 mph and many other drivers did the same. After about 15 minutes, visibility reduced dramatically and I started seeing vehicles on the sides of the Interstate - some with people trying to dig themselves out. Those who chose not to slow down were paying a heavy price for their carelessness.
The most challenging element of this drive though, was the semis who continued to barrel down the interstate at 65-70mph. The majority of the traffic had slowed to 45 and the result of these semis passing you on the outside was terrifing. With each one, I gripped the steering wheel and waited for them to pass. But even after they passed, the worst was yet to come. The semis woul leave behind a giant cloud of snow that would last for 5-10 seconds (it seemed much longer). In effect, with each semis passing, you were driving in complete white out. I would slow down briefly, wondering if someone ahead of me would stop abruptly. There was no way of knowing what was ahead of you. I simply had to hold my breath and move forward.
After arriving safely in Holdrege and then later in Kearney, many fellow ministers recounted the same fears and anxiety of driving in this type of weather and we all had our own opinions of the semi drivers who were wreaking havoc on others. Oddly enough, those same semis piled up in a multiple (20+) vehicle accident that shut down the interstate near Gothenburg farther west.
I reflected back on this drive this week as I read 2 Corinthians 5:7, which states, "...we walk by faith, not by sight." In other words, following Christ will at many times be like driving in white out conditions. There will be dangers and the destination may be hard to recognize, but with faith and obedience, He will get us there. The great thing is, because of His power, love and grace, we don't have to be afraid. As Paul stated in Philippians, we can "press on with confidence." The journey of faith is not easy, but the best part is that we don't have to travel it alone, and yes, Jesus will take the wheel (cue Carrie Underwood music). Ok, that's my first and last country music reference in my blog. But seriously, I'm so thankful that I made it through the storm, but I am equally thankful that I am walking by faith in my journey with Christ.