The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside!” or, “I will be murdered in the streets!” – Proverbs 22:13

The sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!” – Proverbs 26:13

I struggled this week to say the least. I think God has been gracious to me especially during this time. It started last Saturday traveling home from church in which I felt like I could have died. It didn’t help that I didn’t heed my wife’s advice in staying put or finding another ride.

The snow had been falling for pretty much the whole day and the roads were slushy. My truck is rear wheel drive and I hadn’t put weight in the back to get proper traction. On one hand I knew God was with me. There were times when I knew I would not have made it home had it not been for plow trucks providentially plowing the way for me from 495 to 66 (especially the exit ramp).

As I was nearing home I had a near fatal slip out. Not being fully prepared and probably should have been more careful in driving in this weather, I skidded out and my truck spun 360.

Fortunately the few cars behind me were far enough to stop in time to avoid me and I stopped early enough to avoid hitting the side wall. I thanked God for saving me, but I was also quite shaken up. A slew of emotions kinda got to me which showed me where my heart was and still is.

After I got home, I hugged and kissed my wife and girls. By the grace of God I made it home. Like I said a slew of emotion got to me. Bitterness at church and even God for being out in the snow that day and having almost left my kids fatherless and wife widowed. I was embarrassed for not having listened to my wife. I was thankful though that God brought me home safe.

Anyways, my heart was full of varying degrees of stuff. So on Sunday we decided to play it safe and stay home despite responsibilities and commitments we made for Sunday worship/sunday school. On one hand I felt some guilt for not being able to make it but on the other hand I felt it was actually responsible as a father to keep off the roads. I battled within whether I was lacking faith by not trusting God on Sunday or whether I was just a sluggard afraid of the “lion”. It could have been a combination of both.

I think I understand where the sluggard is coming from now. To be honest, I was still a little bitter for having to be at church on Saturday where my life was almost taken. And because of this “Lion” we stayed home on Sunday and it actually continued all this week as well. A funeral on Monday, snow on Tuesday/Wednesday and possible for snow on Friday, I decided to stay home from work for the week.

Not that I am afraid of the snow, not because I don’t trust God will keep me safe, not because I can work from home, but because on Saturday around 4:30PM I almost got into a car accident and that really bothered me.

God have mercy.