A fun tradition my family has on quiet Sundays is to go out for drives in the farm fields and up in the mountains. We play I Spy and then talk about how everything we see is a gift from our loving Heavenly Father. It’s been really fun to see my kids get excited about what they see out the window and to hear #LivyLu’s sweet little comments about how beautiful everything is. Something else we do is whenever we come to a place in the road where we can turn or go straight, we let our kids choose. It just helps them stay entertained and be a little more involved in the outing.
A few weeks ago we were out on one of these drives. I was especially enjoying this drive because of the excitement over the autumn colors coming from the back seat. But this time whenever we came to a turn in the road #LivyLu seemed to really contemplate which turn to take (rather than her quick point). We didn’t think to much about it, because she was leading us way out into the mountains, an area we hadnt explored to much. And the kids really loved when we went from paved roads to extra bumpy gravel roads (with lots of potholes and dips in the road). The sun was going down and we had thought about turning around (seeing how we were already 20 some odd miles out of town), but we just were enjoying ourselves so much that we kept going. Then suddenly right after a turn we saw a two people walking down the road, waving us down.
We pulled over and rolled down our window, and they started talking. And I started to freak out. Because between Adam and I we could only make out three or four words. Taking note of the confusion on our faces, the girl pulled back her hair and showed her hearing aid and then said “We are both deaf”. YIKES neither Adam or I sign, we can hardly understand them, and they can’t understand us. There was just a sliver of sunlight left in the sky and it was somewhere around 30 degrees outside.
Eventually we found out that they had been out drifting and had flipped their jeep. We found the jeep and it was completely totaled. Remarkably they hadn’t a single scratch (though I’m sure they felt it the next day). We offered them a ride back to town (there was no way they could have made it back to town on their own, I mean we were way, way out there). But all the seats were taken. Between Adam and I in the front, and all three car seats, and we had recently taken out one of the middle captain seats because we had just picked up a dresser the day before. So they had to sit cramped on the floor.
Our kids reacted amazingly calm to all of this, #LivyLu even gave them a smile and a shy wave. We drove them to some friends and all turned out well.
Later that night Adam and I were talking about this; how it was so amazing we had found them. I mean we really were way out there in the middle of nowhere, and it was a bitter bitter cold night. We came to the conclusion that it was because of #LivyLu, who had carefully contemplated every turn we made, that we were in the right place at the right time.
Something I have learned as a mother is that everything, every activity, every conversation, every little moment together is one where I can learn from my children. When we started out our drive #LivyLu was singing the primary songs she was learning in nursery. My daughter had chosen to invite the Spirit of God into her day and because of that, and her willingness to be still when she was impressed upon by the Spirit (which I strongly believe she was) and her quickness to act upon those impressions, we were able to help a couple in need. Which in turn opened the doors to great conversations about service with our children. God is really so so good. But the way He works through children is even more amazing. And I am so grateful that I get to have these moments with my children.
Seriously don't take any moment for granted. Embrace every chance you can with your loved ones and open yourself up to be taught by your children and they will never cease to amaze you.
[The story got out to a local podcaster who shares stories and interviews of moments where people have felt God in their lives. She got in contact with Adam and did a phone interview with him. Here is the podcast: Led by God our segment is at 27 minutes]
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