It was my intention to write about something totally different today but sometimes life experiences change not only the immediate but that they also cause the consideration of what might be going on in the plan and will of God. With that I can say that I was a bit irritated a little more than an hour ago. I was on a bus stop waiting for the bus to take me to one of my spots in the city of Baltimore. It would be that the bus would be extremely late when I have a day planned for activities (more to come on that). The fact is one of my weaknesses is the lack of patience in waiting for things that are late. I am very time conscious and lateness and I simply are not good friends.   

     When the bus finally arrived one of the nastiest drivers was operating the vehicle causing my irritation to rise just a bit more. The crowded bus was somewhat unsettling but tolerable. As the bus eased toward its destination the move became more of a crawl. Now, I admit that I am no longer the hare I was some thirty years ago but then nor am I the turtle I might be fifty years from now. Evidently there was a problem with the traffic so when the opportunity arose I disembarked short of my transfer point to find emergency equipment in the area where I would have been had the bus been on time.

      Sometimes God allows delays in our lives not to try us but rather to protect us. All too often we (me definitely included) allow life circumstances to irritate and sometimes anger us. However if we sit back and look often speed bumps and road blocks serve to protect not just us but also those around us. Such was the case today as I was becoming irritated because of a bus that was around half an hour late. I considered changing my plans because of the delay and almost thought not to write because my mood to write was altered because of incidents beyond my control yet affecting me directly.

      Now, as I was approaching the transfer point I noticed not just the multiple pieces of emergency equipment but also a large crowd of people spilling off the sidewalks. This crowd was behind yellow crime scene tape that marked an area of concern in front of the CVS store on the corner of Light and Lombard Streets in downtown Baltimore. As I was approaching I observed medics tending to an individual whom I first thought to be deceased because all I saw was the medics covering the individual with a sheet. Thank God he remains alive. As it turns out a vehicle ran into the store.

      With that I have to wonder if I would have been involved in that accident had the bus been on time? Would I have been injured or killed? I really don’t know yet I can say with absolute certainty that God has once again protected me. He protected me even when I did not know that I needed protection. My suspicion is that I am not the only one God protects. Many have stories about occurrences in their lives but that for the grace of God there could have been deleterious impacts on them. So, when things don’t go as planned try not to get irritated just consider the fact that God is busy protecting His own. I am now thankful that that bus was not on time as I rejoice in the protective hand of God!