Divine Happenings At The Border
Divine happenings at the border
Last week I was traveling back into the US from the Windsor Canada border. The ordeal is always one filled with tense moments. My kids who are 9 and 4 were in the back seat. They were getting restless and starting to argue. We had nothing to hide; my husband though he’s been a citizen of the US for the last several years, always gets nervous when we cross. I looked in the mirror. I looked pretty rough having opted to wait and take a shower when we got to my mom and dad’s. The line was taking a really long time. So I start praying for wisdom and discernment on the border guards. To me they have one of the hardest jobs out there. They have a split second to make a decision that could affect the country and the people in it. That’s when I noticed the border guards walking through the line of cars and randomly stopping to check cars and question people. In all my years of traveling back and forth across this border I had never seen them do this before, and while we had nothing to hide, now I’m officially nervous. They found “something” in the car diagonal from us because that guy was getting questioned and pulled to the searching area. My four-old began voicing her restlessness. The tension was mounting like building blocks in the car. I began thinking well, if they pull us in for questioning it’s not the end of the world. But wait what if they think they found something and it’s not what they think it is. We don’t have anything to hide. But what if we get detained, what’ll happen with the kids? We’ll get to my mom and dad’s eventually. . .
Finally we arrived to the border guard. He took our passports and scanned them. Since I was the one driving he asked what I did for a living. I’m pretty sure this information appears on their screen and he was just verifying I was the same person on my passport.
“I’m a writer and a stay-at-home mom.” I replied.
“Really what do you write?” He questioned. I started talking to him. Long story short it, the guy was a believer and is interested in my books now. After all that tension before we got to him, we laughed for a long time after we pulled on to the highway. It was too funny that the border guard just happened to be a believer who now is “going to be checking out my work online.”
So often our brains go into “worse case scenario” mode if we let them. As a writer sometimes I start imagining all sorts of wild possibilities that don’t happen. I hit the drama button and the next thing I know there is a soap opera of “what if’s.” In truth it worked out okay. All was well.
I have often said that you need to treat your mind like a horse with reigns. If you don’t keep holding tight to that and remind yourself what God says on matters then those thoughts will and can run wild.
Romans 12:2
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Renewing your mind is a constant battle. You have to take every thought captive even when you’re in the midst of difficult situations. God is for you who can be against you. You have to choose to trust in God, and not wild imaginations.
The entire situation worked out very well. We got through and got to my mom and dad’s, and now have another funny border story to add to our list. Remember life is too short to freak out. Trust God. It will be well!
Last week I was traveling back into the US from the Windsor Canada border. The ordeal is always one filled with tense moments. My kids who are 9 and 4 were in the back seat. They were getting restless and starting to argue. We had nothing to hide; my husband though he’s been a citizen of the US for the last several years, always gets nervous when we cross. I looked in the mirror. I looked pretty rough having opted to wait and take a shower when we got to my mom and dad’s. The line was taking a really long time. So I start praying for wisdom and discernment on the border guards. To me they have one of the hardest jobs out there. They have a split second to make a decision that could affect the country and the people in it. That’s when I noticed the border guards walking through the line of cars and randomly stopping to check cars and question people. In all my years of traveling back and forth across this border I had never seen them do this before, and while we had nothing to hide, now I’m officially nervous. They found “something” in the car diagonal from us because that guy was getting questioned and pulled to the searching area. My four-old began voicing her restlessness. The tension was mounting like building blocks in the car. I began thinking well, if they pull us in for questioning it’s not the end of the world. But wait what if they think they found something and it’s not what they think it is. We don’t have anything to hide. But what if we get detained, what’ll happen with the kids? We’ll get to my mom and dad’s eventually. . .
Finally we arrived to the border guard. He took our passports and scanned them. Since I was the one driving he asked what I did for a living. I’m pretty sure this information appears on their screen and he was just verifying I was the same person on my passport.
“I’m a writer and a stay-at-home mom.” I replied.
“Really what do you write?” He questioned. I started talking to him. Long story short it, the guy was a believer and is interested in my books now. After all that tension before we got to him, we laughed for a long time after we pulled on to the highway. It was too funny that the border guard just happened to be a believer who now is “going to be checking out my work online.”
So often our brains go into “worse case scenario” mode if we let them. As a writer sometimes I start imagining all sorts of wild possibilities that don’t happen. I hit the drama button and the next thing I know there is a soap opera of “what if’s.” In truth it worked out okay. All was well.
I have often said that you need to treat your mind like a horse with reigns. If you don’t keep holding tight to that and remind yourself what God says on matters then those thoughts will and can run wild.
Romans 12:2
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Renewing your mind is a constant battle. You have to take every thought captive even when you’re in the midst of difficult situations. God is for you who can be against you. You have to choose to trust in God, and not wild imaginations.
The entire situation worked out very well. We got through and got to my mom and dad’s, and now have another funny border story to add to our list. Remember life is too short to freak out. Trust God. It will be well!
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