Invisible Protection

It was the phone call no mother ever wants to receive. “Mom, first of all, I am fine, but you need to come quick. I’ve had an accident.” My husband and I raced to the scene, not too far from our house, and the site was frightening: one fire truck, an ambulance, and my son Kyle’s car, on its side in the middle of the road. Panicked, my eyes searched for Kyle, who I did not see at first. Emergency officials directed us to the ambulance, where our son was being treated for a scratch on his finger.

Kyle explained that a woman did not see him traveling down the main road, entered the intersection, and hit him broadside pushing his car into the curb. His car then barrel rolled, before coming to rest on its side. Kyle told us that right after the accident, a man came along, broke the front glass of his car, and pulled him out. My son is 6’5”. That was quite a task for even the strongest of men, so I looked around for my son’s rescuer to thank him. There was no one matching the description at the scene. I wondered then, Did God send an angel to help my son? Whatever the case, when I think back to the accident, now over six years ago, I see it as an obvious answer to daily prayers for protection of my family.

1John 5:18 says, “the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them.”

It occurred to me during Bible study this week that we also need to thank God for the protection we do not see.

I am on the road a lot traveling to various ministry functions, and I wonder what I’d see, if God revealed all the times he protected me on the road.

When I was in the blind spot of the 18-wheeler, who delayed changing lanes until I passed.

Making me aware of traffic that suddenly stopped.

Providing a lane to escape to when someone sideswiped me on the highway.

What about you? Have you ever thanked God for his invisible protection?

What if you were given supernatural eyes for one day, and you saw every place God safeguarded your life?

His protection reminds me of our bodies. They are covered with skin, hair, and outward physical features, but there’s a lot that goes on underneath the skin to make our bodies work. Often times, we take the intricacies for granted, not realizing that one small malfunction could lead to big trouble. God created a finely-tuned machine, and keeps our bodies working, until it’s time to join him in eternity. It’s yet another way God protects our lives.

So today, will you join me in a different kind of thanksgiving?

Let’s thank the Lord for what we don’t see.

Let’s thank him for what we don’t know.

Let’s praise him for his invisible protection.

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). (LBW)