Have you ever had an eye-opening experience? I did when I was thirteen years old.
That’s when one I went on a day trip to Cades Cove with my friend and her family. Early that Saturday morning we all piled into her parents’ van. I love the Smokey Mountains, so I was very excited. We didn’t even make it out of Knoxville when the air conditioner went out. Even though it was supposed to be a rather warm day, we all thought it would be okay to go on with our excursion if we opened the windows in the van. That worked and the breeze felt great until we began to drive through the Cove. The traffic around the loop was bumper to bumper. It seemed as if we were moving at a snail’s pace. Guess what doesn’t happen when you move too slow. Yep, we had no air moving through the van at all. Let me tell you, it got very hot very quickly. I think that helped to contribute to what happened next.
My friend and her little brother, who was three years younger than her, began to bicker and fight with each other. Her parents tried to stop their fighting, but they ended squabbling amongst themselves. Soon, all four of them were going at it. Oh, it got better. Next her little brother got sick to his stomach inside the van. It wasn’t a lot, but it was enough. At that point, I became very antsy. You see, I was an only child, so I never had a sibling to fight with. On top of that, my family was very reserved when it came to arguments. I guess you could say I was trapped in new territory. Believe you me, I desperately wanted out of the van, but I couldn’t do that.
Finally, my prayers were answered when they pulled into a small picnic area. As they were taking out the coolers with the food, I announced: “I’m going off by myself for a little while.” Her parents looked at me as if I had two heads. I didn’t care. I needed some peace and quiet.
I found a good-sized stream and followed it until I saw a couple of large rocks sitting in the middle of it. With no fear of slipping off of them, I climbed over the rocks to the largest one and plopped down on top of it. As I listened to the babbling stream, I took in deep breaths and prayed.
“He only is my rock and salvation; he is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.” Psalm 62:2 (KJV)
Have you ever heard the old hymn, “Rock of Ages.” The verse above made me think of it. While I felt safe and secure on top of the rock, the hymn actually refers to being safely nestled inside a split in it. This is how we are to feel about The Lord. He is indeed our salvation and our defense.
I don’t know how long I sat on that rock. As I walked back to the van, I girded myself up to hear more fighting, but what I saw surprised me. They were laughing and talking as if nothing had happened. With big smiles they welcomed me back. My friend said, “It’s okay. I told them you weren’t used to a family like ours.” I just nodded and fixed a turkey sandwich.
Brooke Cox is an author, speaker, and storyteller. She was a 2016 Selah Awards Finalist for Debut Novel. Her children’s book: “Dinosaur Eggs,” is now available. It is based on Ephesians 6: The Armor of God. Her novel “Until the Moon Rises: A Conniving Cousin Mystery” is also available. Also, she has two books out in her storytelling series: “Saucy Southern Stories.” The Amazon links for her books may be found on her website: brookecoxstories.com. Please feel free to contact her. She would love to hear from you.