"be strong and courageous. do not be afraid. for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

humor me for a second and listen to my long-winded pathetic story.

so i said earlier i really wanted to drive back to VA friday, but had no one to travel with. at that point i was really feeling more peaceful about waiting until sunday and traveling with two guys i know. it wasn't what i wanted so i was trying to talk myself out of it.

today my mom and i ran into one of my friend's moms at target. this friend goes to LU but i thought she had already gone back last weekend so i hadn't asked to travel with her. her mom informed me that in fact she had not gone yet and was planning to drive down tomorrow (friday) with her dad and uncle and that i would be more than welcome to join them! how cool is that?!?!?

at first i was hesitant because we're supposed to get some snow here in MI tomorrow later in the day (we wouldn't be leaving until afternoon) and there's supposed to be some rain along the way. i am a very nervous driver when it comes to driving in rain/snow and especially since i've been in two car accidents since november i really wanted to avoid any bad weather. i decided i would just head out on my own first thing tomorrow morning and beat the weather. but as i was packing i started getting more and more anxious. i got irritable and started snapping at my mom and brother and just felt really emotional.

i finally talked to my mom about it and she helped me think through the pros and cons of the situation. going with my friend and her dad and uncle made the most sense because i would still be getting back early and i would be traveling with reliable people who knew the way very well and would be of most help to me if i were to get in any sort of trouble. the guys i would've potentially traveled with on sunday have never driven this route before and i don't expect know a whole lot about cars. my mom also pointed out that it could not have been coincidence that we ran into my friend's mom at the time we did. God was offering me an opportunity to travel back safely AND at the time i wanted.

at that point i realized that she was right! the only downside of the situation was my fear of the weather which had been blinding me from seeing God's provision. as soon as i called my friend's dad to tell him i was coming, i felt so much better! the anxiety and emotion that i had been feeling all evening were lifted and i now feel very much at peace about the whole situation.

thanks so much to all who prayed for me as i made this seemingly miniscule decision :) i would also covet prayers as i travel tomorrow. we're leaving midday and probably won't arrive until around midnight. i'm not sure what the weather will be like but i'm going to try not to think about it and just put my trust in God that He will be right beside me in the passenger seat the whole way :)