It was December 31, 1977. My family and I were living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I worked for a large travel corporation based in Omaha that had travel agencies located in Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois and Iowa. As one of the vice-presidents, I was responsible for the offices in Iowa and Illinois.
Early that morning, around 2:00 AM, our home telephone rang. It was my boss calling from Omaha. He told me that the charter flight for Iowa State fans traveling to the Peach Bowl football game in Atlanta was snowed in and still on the ground in Des Moines.
The trip had been scheduled to depart at 11:00 PM the evening before. This was a very special event for Iowa State; there would be many disappointed fans if they didn’t make it to Atlanta in time for the start of the game. The weather reports for Des Moines were not good.
My boss said that he didn’t think that the flight would be able to take off and get to Atlanta in time for the kick off. He thought it would be best to have an officer of the company at the airport in Des Moines to break the news. So, he needed me there!
I dressed quickly and started driving the one hundred plus miles to Des Moines. When I first started out the weather was not too bad. I was able to travel about seventy miles per hour on Interstate 80, the road that would take me to Des Moines.
Then snow began to fall, followed by ice; both began to accumulate on the highway. I was getting nervous and my palms began to sweat on the steering wheel. I had to slow down to about thirty miles per hour. Big semi-trucks that passed me threw more ice and snow on my windshield.
I drove slower and slower and soon was just creeping along at fifteen to twenty miles per hour. By this time I was tightly gripping the steering-wheel and had to lean forward in the seat to be able to see. The windshield wipers were going as fast as they could go.
It then dawned on me that at my current speed, I would never make it. By the time I would get to the airport, it would be too late. The charter flight would not make it to Atlanta in time for the kickoff. I was worrying, fretting, praying, and pleading with the Lord for help.
Then suddenly, an incredible sense of peace and calmness came over me. It wasn’t like I heard a voice, but more like a thought that came to me that God put in my mind. I just pulled off the road, telephoned my boss and told him, “Everything will be fine. The charter will take off and the group will make it to the game on time.” I knew the future!
Philippians 4: 6-7 says: Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. NLT
I experienced that sense of peace. It was a peace I had never felt before…it was the peace of God! As it turned out, the flight DID take off at the very last minute that it could for the group to make it to the stadium on time!
When the plane landed in Atlanta, buses met the group of fans as they disembarked the plane, and they were escorted by police motorcycles directly to the stadium. The Iowa State fans took their seats just seconds before the kickoff!
The Lord was in control like He had let me know He would be!
As I look back over the years, I know that God has always been there working in my life. I do not know what He may have in store for my future, but I am content knowing He is in charge.
Author - Kenneth R Kersey
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Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7 NLT
The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace. Psalm 29:11 NLT
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