When tragedy hits, the first question we ask is “Why?” We feel we are getting something we do not deserve and have not asked for, thank you very much! And we all know that this question rarely receives an answer. We find God to be silent. We are puzzled and hurt. Understandably.

Today when I tried to merge onto the exit lane, we almost got hit by a car coming from the on-ramp. It was a split second difference between seeing the car and swerving to the left to avoid the crash. I yelled out, “Jesus Christ, my Lord!” I had not seen the car at all. We were all shocked but thankful for being safe after all.

It was not until much later that I got to think about what happened. It was almost unavoidable that the passenger side occupied by my husband would have gotten the first impact… and what about my daughter sitting in the middle seat in the back? Well, I’d better stop “what if-ing.”

My first reaction was to thank God for not getting into a crash, but the following question never entered my mind at that moment. “Why, God, did you spare us?” Seriously, I can count by hand how many close calls I have had driving in just the last year. Why, Jesus? I’m no different from the next person. We see crashes all the time. We hear sirens at all times of the day. Why are we spared?

The Bible in Psalm 91:9-12 says that God sends His angels to protect us: “If you say, ‘The LORD is my refuge,’ and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

It is an overwhelming thought that we are in a bubble of protection, so to speak. Who knows how many similar situations we have lived through where angels made sure we avoided a tragedy? If you share the same sentiments with me, let us thank Jesus for His unmerited grace and mercy.

God bless you and your loved ones!

Meryem Kennedy