God knows the way and helps on our journey

Throughout life we have experiences that impact us and become beacons of faith we can rely on for years to come.

Several years ago, my niece was in the hospital two hours away from where I lived. My sister and her husband could not be with her because her twin brother was scheduled for a procedure in a different city.

I volunteered to make the drive and spend time with my two-month-old niece. The drive; however, had its challenges. This was the farthest distance I had ever driven by myself and the weather in January is unpredictable.

The drive to the hospital went smoothly and I spent the day with my beautiful niece. We had all been blessed to receive her into our lives and I admired her strength after been born at 26 weeks.

As the evening came, it began to snow, and I decided to start the drive back. I was emotionally worn out and felt guilty about leaving my niece with no family at her side.

The snow continued to fall and accumulate while I filled the car with gas. When I pulled out of the gas station and turned on the windshield wipers, I noticed they did not work properly. The snow smeared across the windshield and made it difficult to see the road.

Silently, I prayed.

Merging into traffic, it seemed like all the drivers were comfortable with the road conditions. I, however, could hardly see and moved slower than traffic.

As I continued driving, I began to worry.

I worried about my niece being alone. I worried about driving in the snow. I worried that I would cause an accident from poor visibility.

The next prayer I said aloud. This time I pleaded with the Lord to tell me what I needed to do.

I had barely finished my prayer when a semi-truck changed lanes a short distance in front of me. At first, I was nervous being behind such a large vehicle.

Soon, I recognized that if I concentrated on the semi’s lights I could stay in my lane without a problem. The truck was a guide.

Large pick-up trucks with confident drivers roared past me without adjusting their speed for the road conditions. Later, I passed them stuck in the median or off the shoulder of the freeway, where it was apparent they had lost control in the snow.

While following behind the semi-truck, I realized I had been protected and sent a guide when I needed one. I arrived home safely by following the red tail lights when I struggled to see the road.

In our lives it is easy to be confident in our own abilities, forgetting to follow our Lord. We forget he knows the way and he is there to help us on our journey.

When we pray, God hears and answers our prayers. Because of his love for each one of us, he has not left us alone and has provided a way for us to find our way and will guide us safely home.

Spencer W. Kimball, a former president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints taught, “God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs.”