Snow.

Snow blanketing the world this week

transforming everything into a beautiful winter wonderland

instantly carrying me back

to another world

another time and I remember.

Russia.  December 2002.

I had flown alone on the trip

to complete the adoption of my daughter.

It was scary and intimidating traveling alone to the other side of the world

but I was buoyed by the hope of finally seeing my precious little one.

The air was freezing and it was lightly snowing at the airport in Moscow

as I stepped into the black car driven by the Russian facilitator.

Strange it seemed to be riding alone through the dark streets of Russia

with a man that I had just met. Very strange indeed.

Faith held me while fears teased my thoughts.

Alone.

The snow kept falling as we traveled along that age long night

and the silence was broken by simple words shared

about seemingly nothing

but all the nothing meant so much.

A hardworking Russian and me, an American,

on a long snowy ride through the white wintry country.

Hour after hour passed

and the quickly falling snow mounted into high drifts.

Winds whistled and howled but

we kept going.

I wondered if we could make it

as the road narrowed to two small tracks and visibility dimmed.

But my driver assured me in his broken English

that this was normal –

nothing to be concerned about.

He would get me to my destination

safely.

He said it a number of times in his matter of fact way.

He knew the roads.

he knew the weather.

he knew where we were going to.

My weary body took some small measure of comfort in his words

and somehow managed to drop off to sleep

waking suddenly

when we arrived at our destination

in the middle of the night.

Snow.

Mountain size  mounds of freshly falling snow

transforming everything into a glorious white winter wonderland.

There halfway around the world I stepped out of the car

gratefully shaking the hand of the one who got me there.

Faith. Trusting the one who knows the way. Pushed my fears aside.

Thick blankets of whiteness

transforming everything into a glorious winter wonderland I’ll never forget.

Life’s journey is often filled with unknowns –

Difficult situations we have absolutely no control over.

Giant size problems that cause us to fear.

But we can always trust the One Who leads the way.

Every time.

Every day.

Every moment.

He will get us right where we need to be

at the right time.

Feeling helpless and afraid?

He knows the way you take

and He will get you there safely.