Get Off the Road

“Get Off the Road”

Rev. John Rice

In the spring of 1993, while living in northern Vermont, I received a call to pastor a church in Black Mountain, North Carolina. Since their schools started in mid-August, I had to move my wife and son to our new home before I completed my time at the church I was serving in Vermont. The move to Black Mountain went well. After settling them in our temporary housing, I headed back to Vermont.

In the remaining weeks as I finished packing, I said my farewells to church members and other friends. After worship services on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, I headed for North Carolina. I was pulling my boat which was filled with all sorts of items. Kanga, our family dog, was my traveling companion. Our first day of travel went smoothly.

The next morning, Labor Day, I rose early wanting to get a head start on the holiday traffic. After a long day of fast and heavy interstate travel, I began to get weary. However, I told myself that I could get just a little further. That's when I heard a whisper that came as a thought, “Get off the road.” I didn’t pay it much attention, but it came again. This time the words were louder and much more intense, “Get off the road. Get off the road NOW!”

In my experience of being a healing minister I have been taught to be a very attentive listener ….both to the story of the one seeking prayer and for the direction from the Holy Spirit. Due to this being so, I got off at the next exit and went to a nearby motel.

After checking into my room, I went to inspect the boat and trailer. I observed one trailer wheel was at a slight angle, rather than being straight up and down. This was not a good sign. When I jacked up the trailer, the wheel listed even more to the side. I literally could move the wheel a good three inches back and forth. Fortunately while in the parking lot, I noticed a garage located right next door. The next morning I went there.

After looking at the wheel, the garage mechanic told me that if I had not gotten off the road when I did, the wheel would have fallen off in just a matter of miles. I was shocked! What a horrific thought of my possibly causing a multiple car accident during the peak of the Labor Day traffic!

My immediate response was to give thanks and rejoice in the Lord, who guides us through the promptings of the Holy Spirit. His message for me to “Get off the road,” was just one experience that has helped me to be convinced of this. I have now come to trust and follow those Holy Spirit promptings that are coming more and more often - not just during times of prayer.

Remember that Jesus is the one who describes the Holy Spirit as being our helper and advocate. He is accessible to all of us. Our role is to listen, trust, and obey those Spirit-led promptings and messages. They are invariably important to our well-being, and sometimes, life-saving - just as the message I received was for me and others on the highway that day!