What does it mean to be held, led and well-cared for by God? Do you ever wrestle with that question? When life isn’t going as you’d hoped, or your facing an overwhelming situation, do the truths you know cognitively—like, God is loving, attentive, all-powerful and kind—feel a bit shaky?
I land in that place often, although thankfully, less frequently, and intensely, than in the past—because I’ve experienced the Lord’s faithfulness, including in situations where I didn’t ask for His help, or know I needed it.
Years ago, while researching a book, I decided to drive about four hours to visit a friend who happened to live in an area similar to the fictional town I was creating. And so, one week day morning, I dropped our daughter off at school and headed for I-70. Bored after a couple hours on that long stretch of highway, I called my sister and quickly got swept into an engaging conversation.
When suddenly—and this all happened simultaneously—a blur of movement swept through my peripheral, a sense of calm rested upon me, a jolt shot through me as my vehicle collided with the blur of fur I now know was a coyote or wolf sprinting across the road, followed by a plume of smoke rising from the front of my vehicle.
Everything felt slow motion as I veered to the shoulder and told me sister, “I better go. I think I just hit something.”
As my thinking brain slowly came back online, I realized the Lord had likely saved my life. Here’s how. Prior to that collision, I’d been traveling at 70, maybe 75 miles an hour, with a long string of equally fast-moving vehicles behind me. Had I been more alert to the poor animal racing toward me, and in front of me, I probably would’ve slammed on my breaks, creating a multi-care pile up that could’ve resulted in numerous lives lost.
Instead, I fell almost into something of a daze that prevented me from reacting … until the moment had past and I could safely, and smoothly, veer out of traffic.
Looking back, I can’t help but see the hand of Ruach Elohim, the Spirit of God, in action. The Hebrew word ruach can mean spirit, breath or wind. Throughout Scripture, we see God’s Spirit bringing order to chaos, strength to weakness and life where none seemed possible. Perhaps on that stretch of interstate, He was doing what He has always done—quietly at work, long before I thought to reach for Him.
Protecting me when I didn’t know I needed protection.
I’m grateful that He revealed His hand in that situation, as it strengthened my faith by deepening my trust. It showed me that He is faithful, always—when I ask for His help, and when I don’t. And it make me wonder, how often does He shield or redirect me from danger, without me knowing?
I suspect, often.
The first time we encounter Ruach Elohim, the Spirit of God hovers over dark and tumultuous waters to bring order, beauty and life. That same Spirit remains at work within us—quietly strengthening, guiding and caring for us in ways we might not recognize in the moment.
And because Scripture makes it clear, He holds no favorites, I believe He does the same for you. That doesn’t mean He’ll respond to you or your situation in the same way. I don’t always understand what He does or allows from one situation or person to another. But this I know: He loves and cares for each of us with the same intensity. To quote my cohost (who quoted someone else), He loves each of us with all the love there is, and His Spirit is always with us, working on our behalf, and moving toward us.
In her book, Names of God: Growing Strong, my friend and recent Faith Over Fear guest wrote, “Ruach Elohim remains steadfast, overcomes the darkness, and brings calm to our chaos.” Or as was the case in my near multi-car pileup, brings the calm that keeps the chaos away.
Now, please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying we’ll never feel anxious, afraid or chaotic. We’re humans, with a full range of emotions, some more intense and unpleasant than others. I’ve experienced numerous other frightening driving experiences during which I didn’t sense God’s presence.
But even then, He remains faithful. Present, watching, loving, leading and protecting, when we’re aware that He’s doing so, and when we’re so caught up in our anxious spiral we don’t have the mental bandwidth to even consider Him at all.
Maybe that’s the point. Maybe that’s where trust is built—not in our ability to navigate this confusing and complex relationship with all-powerful yet full of mercy and grace Creator God—but in His ability to meet us in our mess and gently lead us one step closer in our connection with Him.
I’d love to hear from you. How do you navigate the tension between what you know to be true about God’s love and care and what you experience emotionally in difficult seasons?
Speaking of Ruach Elohim, if you are interested in getting to know more of God, and how to find strength in Him, through His names revealed in Scripture, make sure to listen to my recent conversation with Grace on the Faith Over Fear podcast. Find that episode, titled, “How to Experience Strength for Overwhelming Assignments Through the Names of God.”
overly-dramatic beginning to give them the stamina and dedication to prepare their child for his destiny—to prepare the way for the Messiah. Every day they saw John’s face they had to remember that God was intimately involved in their lives, and then remember that John was born to tell others about the coming Christ.
back to God, they had to teach him to deflect the attention toward God. Huge crowds gathered to listen to John’s message of repentance, then one day John looked up from baptizing folks on the banks of the Jordan River and knew the time had come for his audience to follow Someone else instead. Between the Holy Spirit and the training he received from his parents, John obviously recognized the pivotal moment for what it was and transferred the crowd’s fickle attention with his announcement for them to “Behold, the Lamb of God.”
God so that he could in turn point others to God.
Danielle Lefontaine, a fledgling actress raised to the lullaby of Broadway, searches for her long-lost brother and her place on the stage, but a jealous cast member and numerous fruitless leads threaten to drop the curtain on her dreams and shine a spotlight on her longing for a place to belong. Meanwhile, Alex Sheridan is living his dream except for someone to share it with. When Dani dances into his life, he hopes he’s found the missing piece to his heart but fears the bright lights of a bigger stage could steal her away.
Candee Fick is the wife of a high school football coach and the mother of three children, including a daughter with a rare genetic syndrome. When not busy with her day job or writing, she can be found cheering on the home team at football, basketball, baseball, and Special Olympics games. In what little free time remains, she enjoys exploring the great Colorado outdoors, indulging in dark chocolate, and savoring happily-ever-after endings through a good book.
driving. She’s independent, determined, helpful, and maybe a just tad stubborn. It’s easy to forget she’s still a young child.
Laundry needed to put away. So much to do. It would be a big help if this bedtime process sped up.
sometimes seem too subtle to recognize. I struggle with patience and selflessness. While Emma needed a simple reminder of her security in our new home—a reminder of her parents’ presence—she taught me about being a child of God through her ability and gumption to ask for what she needed.
Teresa Tysinger is a wife and mother transplanted from North Carolina to North Texas. When not working as the Director of Communications for a large downtown church, she writes charming southern romances, inspired by grace. As a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Religious Communicators’ Council, and the Association for Women in Communications, Teresa has spent over a decade committed to telling stories of faith through written word. She loves coffee, caramel, and stories with happy endings.
Let’s talk about it: Emma asked Teresa to sing her a lullaby so she’ll hear her mama’s voice while she’s sleeping and remember where she is. Have you ever experienced that deep need, whether with another person or with the Lord? How did you fill that need? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments below or over on 
