A Moment with Our Creator: Psalm 72:18-19

On By Beth AlisanIn Photo Journal

Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.

Psalm 72:18

Praise be to His glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.

Psalm 72:19

This month’s photos come from our mountain trip taken earlier this summer.  They are paired with praises from the Psalms that were dear to my heart during that time. For me, these scripture photos serve as a reminder of God’s protection and provision.  I invite you to read on to hear the testimony behind this photo journal entry.

Testimony

Each year, I pack up my kids, my younger brother packs up his kids, my Dad packs up the boat, and we meet at a lakeside cabin for a week of fishing at a state park close to my older brother’s home.  On the morning of our departure, the kids and I saw my husband off to work before loading the mini-van and heading north. 

We drove through the mountains of our home state and neighboring state before reaching the state of my birth.  It was on this final leg of mountain driving that our aging van put up a protest.  Here is where God our protector showed His mighty hand. A sudden impulse led me to pull off the fast paced four lane highway to top up our gas tank which was already 3/4 full. When we went to leave the gas station, the van’s engine began to buck and the lights on the dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree. I was able to maneuver off the road and back into the safety of the Sheetz parking lot. The timing was such that my husband was done teaching for the day and I was able to reach him immediately to trouble shoot the problem. As this was an unscheduled stop, I didn’t have a clear bearing on our location. A check of the GPS showed we were a mere 30 minutes from my older brother’s home.  

At this point, God our provider showed the extent of his provision.  He provided transportation in the form of my brother who dropped what he was doing and drove out to collect me, my kids, our dogs, and all our things and carry us to our final destination.  The Lord provided roadside assistance through an annual gift from my parents that hauled the van free of charge to our designated location.  He provided a reliable mechanic who gave us the final diagnosis, a fatally failing transmission, along with the cause.  He provided time.  Usually, our trip only lasts one week.  This year it lasted an unprecedented two weeks, giving my husband time to shop for another vehicle.  Three days before we were due to leave , the Lord provided a van within our cash price range, honoring our desire to remain debt free.  During that extra week in the mountains, my husband’s school year came to a end meaning he could drive up to get us without having to take time off work. 

To be honest, I experienced moments of intense worry and anxiety during this ordeal.  In those moments, I had to make a cognitive decision to trust the Lord and focus my mind on praising Him for his protection and provision rather than on our less than ideal circumstances.  In that place of praise, I experienced His gift of peace and comfort making this an unforgettable and cherished trip.

© 2022, Lessons from a Lab, Beth Alisan.  All Rights Reserved.

42 thoughts on “A Moment with Our Creator: Psalm 72:18-19”

  1. Wow! I should have been counting all the God-incidences while I was reading. Way too many to brush them aside as coincidences! Thank you for sharing, Beth. Such an encouragement to see/read about God’s amazing provision for his people–for YOU and your dear family.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  4. What a wonderful story of God’s faithfulness Beth. I could imagine the scene!
    The part that stuck out to me was “I had to make cognitive decision to trust the Lord”… something I’ve just had to do the past two days on our current road trip…so I can really relate to how sometimes trust has to be a conscious choice! Have a wonderful day!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thank you Jo! I’m so grateful that the Lord is there to enjoy to smooth sailing with us as well as there to guide us over any bumps or through any unexpected detours. I hope you are continuing to enjoy your own road trip!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  5. Patricia Burkhart

    Wow Beth! You can definitely say that the Lord was with you every step of the way on that trip and showed Himself to you in so many different ways! What a wonderful testimony. Thank you so much for sharing His provision for you and the girls on your trip. I’ m also glad to hear that you now have a more reliable van 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  6. Sometimes it’s easy to wonder why God lets these events happen in the first place. But your wonderful experience has shown us how our faith grows in the tough times. Also, how our praise in the hard experiences helps us to focus on our Lord and His greatness. I just love this, Beth, and thank you for sharing so that all of us can grow as well.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thank you Patty! At the moment I realized that the engine had failed and we were stranded, I confess to sending a question heavenward of “Why couldn’t You have helped it along to our final destination?” In which I checked myself and started looking at all the ways the Lord was helping me in the moment. Oh how I wish I could eradicate that knee jerk reaction of asking “why?”

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  7. I can’t believe I didn’t see your post until now. This is such a wonderful story of God’s provision! Adi and Summer look like two lovely Labs, as always. They are so photogenic!
    I love how you were able to get a new (to you) van for the right cash price. My wife and I are big Dave Ramsey fans and have resolved to stay out of debt.

    Where God guides God provides. Or, as our mutual friend, Gary Fultz says, “God’s will is God’s bill.”

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thank you David. I have a friend who is a professional photographer and gave me tips on how to best get pictures of the dogs. My parents raised us to only buy what there is in the bank to pay for. I’m blessed that my husband embraced their financial wisdom. I’ll confess my greatest worry in this experience was going into debt for a vehicle as the availability for used cars is limited and the price for vehicles in general have skyrocketed. What a peace is found in knowing the Lord didn’t want us in debt either and would provide and He did just that. Have a lovely weekend.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  8. PaB

    Well worded. I never heard a word about the girls being terribly worried. They were real troopers and a reflection of you. I too praise the Lord that all worked out.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thank you! I couldn’t have been prouder of the girls. They were both amazing through it all. I asked them if at any point they were worried and Ahna said it was “all kind of fun” and Arlie said that once we got to Mark’s she forgot the van had even broken down.

      Like

      Reply

  9. Inspiring testimony of how God is always looking out for us. We all have them, and it’s good to tell them. Thanks Beth. The pics of the dogs are wonderful. Makes me wish you lived next door so I could pet and spoil them……and enjoy all that you and your family represent of the Christian life…..and, yes, join you in making some of those peanut butter cookies you mentioned a while back.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thank you Mary! It would be delightful to have you next door. You and your husband would certainly get smothered with Labrador love. Anytime our neighbors are out Adi is bounding over to give her hellos and to shower everyone with love. Summer is not far behind.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. God’s timing is truly perfect! The last mountain we had to climb was the tallest and when the mechanic explained what had happened I knew that the van would never have made it. We would have been stranded on the side of the road. With two kids and two dogs on board that makes a scary prospect.

      Like

      Reply

    1. Alan, when I read your comment a chorus we used to sing in church long ago came immediately to mind- “What a mighty God we serve/ What a mighty God we serve/ Angels bow before Him/ Heaven and Earth adore Him/ What a mighty God we serve.”

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      2. That’s exactly how I remember it sounding in church. Thank you for sending this Alan! Oh how I loved those chorus’ that stuck with me and danced up out of my heart at any given moment. The best part is that I haven’t forgotten them.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you Gary! When I hand the reigns to Him, He writes the most amazing stories. I just need to be better about dropping the reigns quicker and giving Him the lead from the get go. We enjoyed some amazing sunsets on that dock and the kids caught a lot of fish there as well.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  15. What a great testimony to God’s care and provision! In the moments of waiting on tow trucks and rides it does feel as if our train went off the track. But looking back it we discover that we arrived right on time at the station where God wanted us all along!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  17. Thank you so much for sharing and raising this Ebenezer of God’s faithfulness, Beth! I can relate in so many ways. It reminds me of so many praises of David in his Psalms of deliverance. The Lord’s blessings to you and yours!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Thank you GW! Another blogger -Jo at Quietly Roaring- wrote “I write to help my spiritual amnesia.” I’ve thought a lot on that these past days and have concluded that I write for the same reason and as a way of raising an Ebenezer.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

Leave a reply to Priti Cancel reply