1 am

"Hey Mom, Can I talk to Dad"?

I know that my mom's heart must have sunk everytime I called home and started the phone conversation that way.  I could always imagine her leaning in to try and hear what was going on.  Phone calls that began that way meant that there was a problem.  My mom could fix a lot of things, but sometimes you just needed DAD!

When I lived in North Carolina I loved to travel around the state and visit friends.  One guy who used to work with me had moved to Shelby, NC about two hours away.  I wanted to see his new apartment so had made a road trip for the day. We had a wonderful visit.  It was about midnight and had just begun to rain when I decided to head for home.  Shelby was about 20 minutes off of the interstate and then it was an easy drive.  I was a night owl so staying awake wasn't an issue.  As I rounded a turn too quickly I hydroplaned off of the highway and ended up in a muddy ditch.  The saying of "my life flashed before my eyes" is really true!  Once I began breathing again I determined that the car was okay, but just needed to be pulled out on to the road again.

Since there were no cell phones and I had no way of talking to my earthly Dad I became thankful that I had a direct line to my Heavenly Dad!!  All I needed to say was "Help"!!  On that lonely North Carolina highway in the rain I stood stunned as I saw headlights approaching.  A truck slowed down and passed me by.  Wait!!  He started backing up and rolled his window down.  Upon hearing my plight he said, "Jump on in".  That highway angel drove me to the interstate where I located a pay phone, reached a 24 hour towing service and was later pulled from that ditch.  I was so overwhelmed all the way home as I realized that God was right there with me at 1am on that desolate stretch of road.  I went from hopelessness to amazement in a matter of one hour!!

As we go through Maundy Thursday and Good Friday I have continually thought about the incredible weight that Jesus bore in those final hours.  He retreated to the Garden so that he could talk to Dad!!  Even as He hung on the cross dying for our sins He was talking to Dad.

I have had numerous phone conversations across the years that began with the words, "Hey Mom, can I talk to Dad"?  Sometimes just the sound of his voice coming over the phone breaks me to tears because it is the voice that says everything will be okay.  As I think about my Savior hanging on a cross and taking my place of punishment I can still be comforted in knowing that God's voice will ring out loud and clear on Sunday saying, "It's OK"!!!