Devotion
Vacation
Eye Opener: The Country Is Still Afraid
By
Martha Noebel
CBN Staff Writer
CBN.com
-- I have just returned from 10 glorious days of vacation. My family and
I went to Florida to visit our grandson. We needed the break from the routine
and my husband had booked a wonderful resort house for us to enjoy. It was a good
time. We laughed, played in the pool, visited local theme parks, and ate out most
of the time. I was so glad I didn't have to cook. Like most moms, I needed
a break too. As most families do on a trip, we played games in the car.
It had not been too long into the trip when I began to notice a large variety
of license plates from other states. We started writing them down. The list grew
and I could hardly believe some of the states we were seeing. We saw license plates
from as far away as Alaska, California, Oregon, Washington state, Utah, Nevada,
Mexico, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, and at least four providences in Canada.
By the time we were finished, license plates from almost all of the 50 states
had been seen. That's not all. They were heading for Florida, just like
me. People had decided that they needed to spend time with their families. They
gathered moms, dads, children, grandparents, pets, bikes, boats, and anything
else they could find to make their vacation the best it could be. As I watched
the cars passing by, filled to the brim with "the stuff," I was amazed. I saw
how important it was for them that even the handicapped grandparents were brought
and pushed in wheelchairs everywhere they went. They were determined to be together
and to have fun. So many people had decided to vacation the same week I
did that there were 2 hour lines in most places we went. I read in the newspaper
that there were record numbers of people in the Disney parks. The restaurants
were filled, the hotels were booked to capacity, even the lines to the gas station
restrooms went from the back of the store to the front door. I have never seen
anything like it. The worst part was the ride home. Everyone (well it seemed
that way) decided to leave Florida at the same time. The roads were backed up
and we could only move about 25 miles an hour. A 3 to 4 hour trip out of Florida
lasted 8 hours. We finally got off the road at an exit and prayed for a place
to spend the night so we could begin again in the morning. It was about
then that we realized what the problem was. Our country is afraid of flying. I
know I should have caught on to this before now, but I didn't. I kept saying that
something wasn't right. I wanted to figure it out, but I couldn't. Then a man
standing in line with me at a stop we made told us the answer. He said that the
people are afraid to fly. The 9/11 incident has still scared everyone to the extent
that they would drive from very far away, and even take an extra week to travel
if necessary. The country realized that family is important but safety is still
an issue for them. I felt so sad when I realized what was happening. I
thought our nation was further along in the process of healing than this. So I
am now asking for the people of God to continue to pray for those who are still
so afraid. "The Fear Factor" is still controlling the lives of people. The Word
says, "God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power
and of love and of a sound mind" II Timothy 1:7 (NKJV). "For
I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and
not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV).Please
pray for our nation. May we live in peace and not in fear. May we learn to turn
to God and to trust in Him at all times. People need the Lord. Share His love
to a neighbor or friend. We don't need to be afraid. We have God. Martha
welcomes your responses at dvtd2hm1@aol.com
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