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There was good reason that a scene remained frozen in my mind – for I was to remember some things. I’m shaking my head as I type the word frozen; nothing was frozen when it came to the temperature on this day, this past August. We had the privilege of having our young, grand-daughters stay with us for a few days. Triple digits had encroached upon us and just being outside for a brief time span left one feeling like it was hard to breathe and sweating– dripping of you like a fast melting ice cream cone.
I had 2-year-old Brynnley on my hip while I held the hand of 4-year-old Taytum. We ventured outside our farm warehouse office into the heat to get to where I parked my jeep. I had just run Friday’s payroll and had promised these sweeties a trip to Burger King for a treat and an opportunity to play in the climbing jungle inside the restaurant. First, I opened the side door where Taytum’s car seat was. She loves to do things herself, so this allowed her time to climb up into the jeep to get into her seat while I went around to the other side, to place Brynnley into hers. As soon as I had opened the door I noticed Taytum had crawled up into the driver’s seat and had her hands on the steering wheel. She had my keys, which I had allowed her to hold onto up in the office.
“Tay, you don’t belong up there. I asked you to get into your seat, so please do that for grandma,” I instructed. Way too many buttons and gadgets for little fingers!
I heard a slight huff erupt from her and I glanced up just in time to see her wrinkle up her little nose to show her dislike of my orders, then watched her proceed to climb back over the center console and get into her car seat as I finished securely buckling little Brynnley into hers. I closed that door and hurried around to Taytum’s side of the jeep to buckle her up, so we could be on our way.
“Where’s grandma’s keys?” I asked as I worked to securely fasten both sets of buckles on her seat.
She pointed toward the front console and answered, “Right up there.”
I thanked her, and kissed her forehead, which was already warm. “I love you, honey,” I said.
Our destination – Burger King! I closed the door and instantly heard a sound…. CLICK. This absolutely startled me. I knew that the click sound was that of the jeep locking …but I didn’t lock the jeep?! I had another set of keys at the house, which was a few minutes away, but the heat outside made this situation urgent! My thoughts…my precious grandbabies are locked in my car with temperatures that are not healthy…the jeep could become like a furnace for them. My first instinct was to call my husband. He could go grab the keys!
My anxiety increased another notch after I rummaged through my purse and discovered my cell phone wasn’t in it – obviously I had left it up in my office, which was now locked as well. Yes, the keys to the office were in the jeep as well. “Lord, help me!” I said aloud. I looked through the glass, fear gripping at me, as I took that first glance into the window from the outside to where my grandbabies were positioned – this one look would linger. Time was limited! In desperation, I tapped on the window, trying to talk loud and use hand signals to see if Taytum could possibly unbuckle her straps to unlock the door. After brief moments and her confused expression, I ran like a bat out of hell for the phone in our warehouse. I was in panic mode at this point.
After a few minutes, I had recruited some others onto the scene as my husband drove to our nearby home to get the second set of keys. I had two workers grab a crow bar and hammer to break out the back window- a backup plan, just in case those keys didn’t arrive in time and I sensed my grandbabies were in distress. There were six of us standing around that jeep looking in on the girls waiting for the keys to arrive. My brother in law assured me that we had probably fifteen minutes before it would become too hot in the jeep. He worked with an instrument to attempt to fish down the side of the window to lift the lock as we continued to wait. I wasn’t watching a clock, but let me assure you I had to deep breathe and hold myself back from not breaking out the back window to rescue the kids right then. I felt like I could break out in hives as I waited…. I loved these babies so much! I was responsible for their care and they needed a rescue RIGHT NOW!
As I paced around the car waiting with the others, I remember saying aloud again, “Sweet, Jesus!” This settled those nerves down a touch... just saying the name JESUS allowed me to wait, because I had already asked Him for help not even five minutes ago. Seconds can seem like minutes or even hours when we have deadlines and crisis, can’t they?! Within a few minutes we all heard the sound…. CLICK! The lock released. My husband had clicked unlock on the second set of keys before he even turned off the highway into our warehouse parking area. My brother in law opened the door and I the other door on the opposite side. We were all so relieved and grateful that these precious ones were okay. It would have been traumatic for them if we would have had to break out the back window.
Still quite shook up by this ten- minute ordeal, I decided we would go back to the house to cool off a bit and allow my heart rate to come down. A scoop of chocolate chip mint ice cream, lots of ice water, and the opportunity to sit down at the girl’s little table on their level was special. And to pray and give thanks to God for helping us get those keys just in time made it even more beautiful – yep, I got a little teary eyed. We had opportunity to talk about the keys which was a great teaching moment. All was well. And of course, we still went to Burger King, just a little later! And it turned out even better because grandpa got to accompany us.
Now back to that scene that I couldn’t erase from my mind…it was no mistake, for in my quiet moments I pondered and prayed and asked the good Lord as to the why – after all, He knows all. I knew that it wasn’t guilt, so it wasn’t that. The question that He impressed upon my heart was this- “What is it that you see?” Well, I could easily answer that - there it was, frozen in the forefront of my mind. I recounted what I saw – I see two precious children, my grand-babies (helpless) whom are buckled into their seats. They are locked in my car with the keys in the center console with the temperature outside being triple digits. If action isn’t taken, they will perish in this critical state.
Instantly, my heart surged to a high level of concern for the lost – yes, for all those whom don’t know Jesus, or haven’t professed faith in Him. My summer study, one written by Jack Hayward entitled “Focusing On The Future”, had already been refreshing me as I considered scriptures and refreshed on the day of the Lord’s return being near…but maybe I needed a better understanding of urgency. It was if the Lord whispered, “Child, I’m still waiting for all my beloved children to come to me. I AM what they need.” I fell to my knees in prayer. God is so in love with ALL his children…His desire is for ALL to know Him. If I was lacking in zeal for participating in advancing the Lord’s kingdom, I wanted His heart even more.
The Lord would impress another question. “What else do you see, child?” I didn’t ignore this and listened, as my heart felt like it was being probed a bit further. “Do you notice the position of these little ones…what stands out to you, child? “
Hmmm, I thought. I could look at this again, the heat of the moment gone. The girls were secure and seated in their own appointed seats. They were excited, alert, and ready to head toward their promised destination. I remembered they didn’t seem troubled at all. In fact, it seemed like they were wondering what all our faces were doing staring in at them. Our chaos on the outside wasn’t affecting them on the inside – they appeared to be above it all! Calm. And those keys…yes, those keys in the front and center were all that were needed. Oh wait, I shuddered as the Spirit overwhelmed me. “Thank you, Lord,” is what I whispered.
We all need reminders along the way, and the Lord will give us each His eyes for glimpses of His glory. If the journey seems long today friends, be encouraged with truth! Let the scriptures below stir your hearts.
2 Corinthians 5:20 – We are Christ ambassadors, God making His appeal through us. We beg you for His sake to lay ahold of the divine favor and be reconciled to God.
John 14: 6 – Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
1 Corinthians 2: 9-13 However as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”, but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men know the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
Ephesians 2: 4-9 – But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
2 Peter 3:8-9 – Nevertheless, do not let this one fact escape you, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what He promises, according to some people’s conception of slowness, but He is long-suffering (extraordinarily patient) toward you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance.
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