I had only been on the highway a few minutes when the vehicle I was driving suddenly veered to the side. Fighting to regain control, I wondered what had happened. The road that had felt smooth only moments before now seemed very rough. Pulling over to the shoulder I was sure that the cause must be a flat tire. For the sake of safety I decided to put the hazard lights on. Since this was not my regular vehicle I had trouble locating them. I had never given them a second thought until they were needed. Finally I located the button. Once they were on I felt much safer as these four-way flashers would alert other motorists to the fact that I was having a problem.
What I soon discovered was that having the hazard lights on didn’t make a difference to the speed in which others raced past me. It didn’t seem like they slowed down and no vehicles stopped to see if I needed help. Sitting there, I knew it wasn’t safe to open the driver’s door so I climbed over the seat and out the passenger side to check things out. It was a relief to see that everything looked fine. I must have either hit a small patch of ice or picked up something in one of my tires that had now dislodged. Climbing back into the truck I turned off the hazard lights and eased my way back into traffic. The rest of my drive home was uneventful.
This experience taught me some valuable lessons. I may feel that I put my metaphorical hazard lights on to warn people when my life is not going smoothly. What I have no control over is how others respond to that warning. Most will race on past, while a few may stop to offer assistance. What I can’t do is just click on my distress signal and expect someone to come and rescue me. Calling out to Jesus is what is needed. He will always be available to calm my fears and guide me to safety.
Never worry about anything. But in every situation let God know what you need in prayers and requests while giving thanks. Then God’s peace, which goes beyond anything we can imagine, will guard your thoughts and emotions through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6,7 God’s Word Translation