When to Worry

When do you get to stop worrying about your children?   I began thinking about that Saturday night when it was 8PM and David had not come home from work yet.  Now I have to back up one day to explain why I was worrying.

Dad and I were at the temple on Friday night and David was not here when we got home.  We ate dinner after we got home.  We had to run back to Roosevelt and thought he would get home by the time we got back.  When we got home David's car was not here.    They have to stop working at dark and it is dark by 8PM,  it takes an hour to drive home, where was he?  As we started up the steps to the house, David opened the door.  We could tell he was upset.  When we heard his story we knew why.

David is working on a gas pipe line that runs through the oil field south of Myton.  He has been working on the other side of the Green River south of Ouray.  On Friday he had gone to work with one guy but had worked all day with another one.  Near quitting time he got his pay check and the guy he had ridden out with said that the labors wanted to go into Roosevelt to cash their checks.  When David finished up his work he headed to the truck that he had ridden out in only to find it gone.  His coat with his keys were in that truck.  So he headed back to the guy he had worked with all day long.  Only to find him gone.  They had left him somewhere around 30-40 miles south of nowhere.  There was no one to ride back home with.  David decided to start walking out.  As he was walking along another fellow happened along and gave him a ride back to the house.  David was understandably upset.  As we talked I told him, "I know it might not feel like it right now but think about how the Lord protected you tonight so that you could get home."  He said, "You know there are two roads I could have taken to get out and I took the one that someone would be driving on."

Now back to Saturday night.  Dad and I went out to Heber and meet Steve and Carol.  They had picked up Grandma Perkins from the airport and we went to meet them and bring Grandma on home.  When we got home around 7:30 it was getting dark.  By 8:00 it was very dark.  I wondered.  When do I start to worry?  OK, OK, I had already started to worry.  Dad was wiped out from working all day and was sound asleep.  I was as jumpy as a fox.   I was in knots.  Then I thought, "The Lord protected him last night, why not tonight?"  I got on my knees and prayed for David.  Instantly I had a feeling of peace flow over me.  At about 8:30 David pulled into the yard.  How did he get home?  Uncle Ken had heard about him getting left out there.  He stopped by where David was working and told him to put his things in his truck.  He was taking him home.  I love that brother of mine!  I am so thankful to the Lord for taking care of my son.

So when do we stop worrying about our children?  The answer is never but we do have someone to turn to when we are worrying.  Our Father has never stopped caring about us.  He will be near even during times of trial.