While traveling across Canada on my way from Alaska to Missouri I experienced several “close calls.”

I had a moose run across the road about 4 foot in front of my Uhaul. I drove into total darkness with only one headlight while the pouring rain made it hard to see to drive and yet I made every turn. I fought 40-50 mile per hour cross winds for 12 hours. I drove through flooding with water pouring over the road that was nearly impassable. The two biggest incidents happened in Edmonton. A car pulled in front of me quickly and then slammed on his breaks for a yellow light. It is hard to stop a 26 foot Uhaul that is fully loaded, but I managed to stop with a foot to spare. Then I got into road construction and saw the signs indicating that a lane ahead was closing. Little did I know that all lanes would be closing and everyone would be taking a detour. I slammed on my breaks and watched as no one would let me merge. Finally one Good Samaritan let me across the traffic as I almost ran into the barricades. Miraculously I traveled all that way without a scratch or dent. My family had no accidents and while I was tired upon arrival there was no bodily harm.

With each close call I began thinking of God’s goodness in each situation. I could have had a wreck. I could have missed that turn. I could have hit that guy. Instead I made it through … by the grace of God.

Then I began recounting my life. All those times that things could have gone much worse. Especially those times when my whole world could have quickly unraveled and nothing happened.

I believe that sometimes we experience the grace and goodness of God in big dramatic ways. But maybe sometimes his goodness keeps us from total disaster when we don’t even know it.

After this trip I have come to thank God for “the grace of close calls.” He brought me through some sticky situations without a scratch and for that I am very thankful.

This week I am going to blog several thoughts from my travels. My first thought is about rough roads. As you might imagine in a nearly 4,000 mile trip you are bound to come across some rough roads. I discovered there are 4 ways to handle a rough road.

1. Ignore it. Pretend that a problem does not exist and hope it magically goes away.

2. Put up a sign. This does not fix the problem but it gives people a warning that bumpy roads are coming.

3. Throw down a quick patch. This appears to fix things permanently but often is just a quick fix and the problem will return.

4. Tear out the old problem area and completely replace that section of road. This takes the most time, energy and cost but it is always the best solution.

In reality, life is full of rough roads. Some relationships are rough roads. Some Churches have gone down some rough roads. Jobs, marriages, parenting and numerous areas of life have their rough patches. The solutions are the still the same as the highway … and the results too.

Which solution are you choosing right now to that difficult area of your life?

I just want to give a quick personal update.

Last Tuesday at roughly 7:00 pm we arrived in Adrian Missouri without incident. The Lord was very good to us and kept us safe and sound the entire trip. That night we unpacked the beds and clothes at the end of the trailer.

On Wed we unpacked everything in the Uhaul. And by Wed evening we were will on our way to setting up a home.

On Thursday we unpacked all day. I returned the Uhaul and felt like the trip was over for the first time. All total we traveled 3930 miles across 5 states and 5 Canadian Provinces.

On Friday we went to the local parade and then unpacked and set up the boys bedrooms. We enjoyed the fireworks on Friday night for the first time in 5 years. There are no 4th of July fireworks in Alaska for fear of forest fires. This was the first time they had ever lit fireworks either.

On Saturday we bought groceries and needed supplies.

Today – I preached my first official sermon at Adrian Christian Church. It was great to feel like my new ministry was starting. Things in Adrian are off and running.

I will return to my normal blog posting tomorrow and hopefully everyday after that on Monday to Friday. I have lots of ideas and reflections after 8 days on the road.

Thanks to everyone who has prayed for our safety. Thanks to everyone for their gifts of all types. Finally, thanks be to God for all he has done in our lives the last 3 weeks.