It’s the day after Thanksgiving, and all the activity of the day—cooking, eating, spending time in fellowship with friends—is over. In the quietness of this “day after” I’ve spent some time reflecting on what I’m really thankful for—not just in words, but in true heartfelt emotion.
It was less than three weeks ago that my husband and I were in Nairobi, Kenya. One evening, after having dinner with some new friends, we took a taxi back to the guesthouse where we were staying. My sense of direction was totally disoriented and I had no clue where we were in the city. I simply had to trust the taxi driver that he would get us to our destination.
It was not a smooth ride—there were lots of potholes and speed bumps. And, from my perspective, the traffic was chaotic. I still had vivid memories of three years ago when we were in Kenya and narrowly missed being in a tragic accident in which there was a fatality—our driver’s quick reaction saved our lives. And during this current trip, we had seen accidents almost every day we were in Nairobi.
I realized as we swerved in and out of traffic I had absolutely no control over the situation; my safety was in the hands of the taxi driver. I was, for all practical purposes at that moment, entrusting my life to him.
Strangely though, I was totally relaxed and at peace with an assurance that in due time we would arrive at the guesthouse. This surprised me, and I marveled at the thought.
How was it that I could entrust my life to a total stranger in the midst of what could be a very dangerous situation. I knew nothing about this man that made him trustworthy, except that he was employed by the taxi company, which I assume would have made sure he could drive safely. How could I trust him like this, and yet experience times when I had trouble trusting God, whom I do know, and whose very character is marked by trustworthiness? It sounds absurd, doesn’t it!
I must admit, I am thankful for the taxi driver who got us to our destination safely, but I’m most thankful for my Heavenly Father who is totally trustworthy to carry me through all of life’s dangers and trials and bring me safely to my final destination in His Heavenly Kingdom.
This is beautifully expressed in a quote from A.W. Tozer: “With the goodness of God to desire our highest welfare, the wisdom of God to plan it, and the power of God to achieve it, what do we lack? Surely we are the most favored of all creatures.”
For this I am truly thankful.
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