04/01/2025
Let me tell you about a "road" that changed my life and started our journey of "Rhodes to There"
Highway 270: The Road to Faith and Understanding
Rush hour on highway 270 was not exactly where I would have thought was the point in my life where “scripture goes in your life.” In speaking with my husband about writing my story for a devotion or something and my thoughts were about where to even start my story, and he asked me where does scripture start in your life. After thinking about all the different life moments, it came to this:
One day in early September 1999 on highway 270 during rush hour traffic in Saint Louis Missouri, I found myself crying to the point I had to pull over. And everyone knows this is not the safest thing to do during rush hour traffic. However, there I was sobbing. I don't mean crying a few tears, but rather sobbing a heart wrenching, wailing kind of cry and it was all set off by one single song, one single word. The song was “Somewhere Down the Road” by Amy Grant and the word was why.
Before Highway 270, I believed in God. I knew that Jesus died on the cross. I had read parts of the Bible. I lived a good life avoiding most sins. I knew right from wrong, and I had been to church a few times. I had been through some life moments; a divorce in my family, the death of pets and family members and other big moments. Yet here I was sitting right in the middle of the biggest crisis of my life. My daughter, fighting for her life in the NICU at just 3 weeks of age.
My mom had raised me to think that no matter how bad things looked for us, it could always be worse and that was my belief. Yet today, I did not see how it could be any worse. And I did not know why it was happening to me or how to fix it.
I was sobbing over the word “why”. And I was asking all the questions. Why me? Why now? Why her? All I ever wanted was a healthy baby. I was not even concerned if the baby was a boy or girl. I would just say I wanted a healthy baby. Why was life not fair?
And then, I cannot say it was a booming voice from heaven or a marvelous shining light on me in the car, however there was suddenly a comfort coming over me. A comfort that I could not describe or understand. It was a softness that came after the soul cleansing cry. It didn’t even matter that I didn’t have an answers. I may never understand just why things happen but it's not for me to know now. And I am ok with that.
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27 (KJV)
It was at that moment, I can say “scripture goes into my life.” I didn't know that particular verse for another few years, but I knew that peace it spoke of. I felt that comfort it referred to. I knew I was no longer alone to figure this out. It was not a sudden change in my life as it still took several years before I really started reading the Bible. It was almost two years later before I even started going to church. And I am here to say I am nowhere near unwavering in my faith as my world would be shaken again 17 years later.
However, it was at that moment I went from a belief as my mom had taught me to believing as God showed me. It was one thing to know about God, Jesus, the Bible and the crazy word “faith”. It was another to know the Almighty God, Jesus Christ my Savior, the Living Word of God and a faith that comes from just a mustard seed that can move mountains.
I was given peace, comfort, trust, faith, hope and love, yet not the answer to “why”. It was there that I can say scripture was applied to my life.
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More of His Word:
“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 (KJV)
It was there I knew what it meant to “be still”. I knew what it meant to “know” God and all that He was and is. It was there amid rush hour traffic that I knew what it meant to have complete surrender of all that was around me and trust God to finish my story.
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Scripture In Your Life:
Is there a moment in your life that you can say “scripture starts here”?
Do you have a belief, or do you believe?
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