As it is almost 4:00 p.m. and Miami is over a 3 and a half hour drive from Sanford, Karen, Ivy, and I get into the car to begin our journey. Ivy is exhausted after being up for the past 48 hours and we encourage her to just sleep, while I drive.
Ivy stretches out in the back seat of the car and settles in for a long nap and Karen and I begin to softly talk about how God works out His purposes for us all…having a willing and ready heart to do as He bids…letting fear go and trusting. Ah, trust — that’s a big one!
How do we trust God that the woman, all 100 pounds of her, does not have evil intent toward us? I watched her in the rearview mirror, as she leaned over the back seat into the way back of Karen’s car, and fumbled with her suitcases. Unzipping this and zipping that and all the while my mind unzipping fears — “Lord, what is she doing?”
Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in you. Psalm 56:3
We snake our way along 46 trying to make our way to I-95 and are overcome with the flood waters. Hurricane Irma’s remnants have turned the pasture land into a virtual swamp — we are stunned that it is still so high. The cows have been displaced — horse stables are washed out — lives still floating in a sea of uncertainty. That seems to be the theme for the day — Ivy’s life sure was floating in a sea of uncertainty too.
I can hear her heavy breathing, as she trusts — trusting that we do not have evil intent toward her either. Resting in chaos — exhaustion pulling you beyond your boundaries — having nowhere else to go — surrender — how when life has thrown you a curve ball and you have nothing left and you’ve been left? You are broken and at the mercy of strangers — spent.
As we continue to make our way, we see more of Hurricane Irma’s destruction — death! There is an alligator on the side of the road that has been hit by a car. The rising waters had carried him beyond his safe boundaries — then a turtle who has met the same fate as the alligator — and an armadillo — all crushed and left for the vultures to clean up!
I have been forgotten like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel. Psalm 31:12
I am certain that Ivy felt crushed and left too. Finally, the sign for I-95 and the onslaught of rush-hour traffic. We make our way onto the on-ramp, accelerate, and I think of the line from Peter Pan…” Second star to the right and straight on to morning.” We still have more than 3 hours to go and Ivy continues to breathe heavily…we continue to talk softly…and God continues to weave a story, while we trust Him and all that He is doing.
Tomorrow I will continue Ivy’s story, please come back!
Azalea Trees and Tea Rooms 