Saved From The Hand Of Man

How Obedience Saved My Life

I was an obedient and compliant child. At least as a younger child. My mom once told me that she only had to tell slap my hand once and tell me not to touch the telephone. Whereas she had to tell my younger brother multiple times not to do the same. However, when life continued “lifing” it was as if a flip was switched in my teen years and I swung to the other side of the pendulum – disobedience unto rebelliousness, and beyond, and it’s only by God’s sovereign and protective hand lived to tell the tale…

But in another era – as a five-and-six-year-old-child, my mom, always in a hurry, used to leave me in the car while she made quick trips into the neighborhood grocery store. And it was always with the same simple instruction: “Stay in the car. And don’t unlock the doors.” And that was the extent of the instruction. And I would highlight one more time, this was not the world we live in today. I would also highlight that both my parents worked at the Pentagon at the time, but it was my mom’s single-handed responsibility to cook meals and care for the house and children on top of her 9-5.

Therefore, she did everything fast – and I’m I know I slowed her down; I was complaint but not quick, as children usually are not. Hence, it was obviously easier and quicker for her to leave me in the car while she’d run in to get bread and milk. I also need to make note that there were no “stranger danger” campaigns or slogans at this time, or any thought to teaching children, even young children, awareness and caution in dealing with strangers. Overall, it was a time before “child trafficking” was a known thing. And as a final aside, I don’t know where my brother was during these times. It was always just me.

So this late afternoon was no different than any other, on that day when my mom left me in our family’s large stations wagon while she ran in to pick up a few items for dinner. And it was the instruction I’d heard I don’t know how many times, word for word: “Stay in the car. And don’t unlock the doors.” And she never gave any additional details regarding “why.” (and in the edit process, I see the parallels to our walk with God - How He gives us the “what” but not always the “why” and how it’s up to us as to whether or not we obey).

Well, I don’t know how long I sat in the car in this particular instance, but I do believe I was also a patient child (in regard to memories pertaining to other matters). But here’s the first part of the memory I remember ever so clearly. Sitting in the front seat middle of the car, I remember seeing the man – and the woman with him, but my attention was drawn to the man. It was as if his eyes were locked on me as he approached me after exiting the store. And my eyes were locked on him. And when he got to the car, the first thing he did was try to open the front passenger door. When that failed, he calmly said, “open the door, little girl” but I sat motionless. He then went proceeded to try and open every one of the car’s four doors, while continuing his “open the door” mantra. And just as calmly and just as quietly, I continued to sit, not speaking and not moving.

He then proceeded with “open the door little girl and I’ll give you some candy” - the very thing we warn children of today. And although I’d never been warned about these tactics or anything about :stranger danger” I followed my mom’s instructions to a “T.” She’d told me what to do, and I did as she said. Nothing more, nothing less. (Oh, that I’d been as obedient to God in my younger years, I could have gained ground so much quicker.) But now here’s the part that has caused me to marvel all my life long -

Although I took note of the women’s increasing nervousness, tugging on the man’s sleeve, telling him repeatedly “we’d better go” – I had not one iota of fear. I had a perfect peace as I continued to sit perfectly centered in the front seat. I didn’t talk, and I didn’t move. I simply observed. I have many thoughts and ideas which cannot be proved, prove, but I believe there were angels in the car with me that day – one on either side of me. I believe it’s why I was filled with such perfect peace – the “peace that passes understanding” I would learn many years later. And a quick insert if you don’t already know from one of my previous stories – I didn’t grow up going to church, and this was before my one summer of going to vacation Bible school, so I knew nothing about angels or “the peace of God” as I would now say.

At any rate, the man finally gave up, after seeing how unmoved I was by repeated offers of candy and by the woman’s urging. And most eerily of all, after turning to leave me alone, they entered into a van parked just two spaces away – I believe it was white – and drove away. And my the most curious thing of all, but which I believe undergirds the truth that I had such absolute peace and absolutely no fear about the matter at all – when my mom did return to the car, I said nothing at all about what I had just experienced. To this day, I don’t understand why I chose to remain silent, except that I don’t think I fully understand the gravity of the situation until many years later.

What I do know however, is that my obedience to my mom’s instructions, without even fully understanding the situation as it unfolded, saved my life from things I can only imagine. Child-trafficking rings, if they existed at the time, certainly weren’t prevalent or in the news. But I’m sure child abductors were certainly a reality, and that my obedience and God’s sovereign hand saved my life.

And throughout the rest of my childhood I never told my mom, for reasons that puzzle me. I only broke the silence when I became a mother and began to hear her continual warnings about not leaving my own daughter in the car, not even to go in to get a fountain drink. It was only after a dozen or so warnings, I broke my silence.

But the point I want to make here, is that after repeated harrowing experiences in my life, first as a runaway making foolish decisions, then as a young woman who was altogether too naïve and trusting, I experientially came to know God as my Protector and my Defender. We all experientially know God one way or another, and this is how I’ve come to know Him. And perhaps it’s why I’ve been willing to do things others would choose not to do. And my ultimate aim is that fear would have no say in any of the decisions I make. Because fear doesn’t make good decisions. At any rate, I have come to understand that my life is in God’s hands and most importantly, I can trust Him with my life. And so I do.

And one final curiosity. The verse I chose to end this message with (when I began writing) is the title of the sermon that was preached at my wedding. For in truth, I was married in the middle of a Church service, if you can believe that. (Potter’s House Church, iykyk) And I didn’t consciously make this connection till I got to this point in this message. But God knew. This is our God. He is sovereign. And my boast is in Him.

The Lord’s hand is not shortened that it cannot save. Isaiah 59:1

And one more for good measure:

But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in Your hand. Psalm 31: 14-15