Lessons Along the Way to Tucson

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Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.
For He Himself knows our form;
He is mindful that we are nothing but dust.
Psalm 103:13-14 NASB

God cares for His children.

We have been experiencing this truth from even before our “car trip” began. The final decision for the trip had to wait for a good report from the doc on blood tests etc. And I like to think that even before the good report came, God was, in a sense, moving in heaven and on earth on our behalf.

So here are my summary thoughts …

1. God answers His children’s prayers.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:7-11 NASB

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. James 1:5 NLT

… you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. James 4:2-3 NLT

When we finally were able to say we are going to AZ, I started praying!

  • We needed our Senior National Parks Visitors Card to enter our beloved Sabino Canyon where we had planned to walk every morning. Where is it? We hadn’t even thought of it since our last trip in 2023. John looked in all the logical places, but nothing…then I prayed,

    “Lord, please bring revelation!”

    All of a sudden, John thought of a compartment of our then new car we had never thought of or used…except for the Visitors Card. So Voila! Thank you, loving Father… not necessary, but so kind!

  • The weather report for the Southwest had been outrageously, over-the-top, abnormally hot…dangerously so!

“Please God.
Not 100-plus!”

Nothing religiously fancy…just “Please God, not 100+.” And so our merciful Father, has “spoken” — 70’s & 80’s since we have been here.

[This reminds me of when we were here in May, 2023. I asked for rain in May I could smell the distinctive fragrance of the creosote bushes after a rain. But the problem was it rarely rains till monsoons in July and August. But guess what? Rain — thank you, O wonderful Father!]

creosote bush

  • John & I are “walking/ hiking people.” It’s our exercise of choice. We have both gotten too old to run anymore (that’s for another story). But our daily travel goal has been to find a good place to walk in each of our stays for the night.
    Well, one of our stops was Tulsa, Oklahoma, where we found an interesting reservoir with a walking path up high and around it. We pulled into the last parking space in the crowded lot below before realizing it could be very difficult to get out of the area. But we climbed the many steps and started walking anyway.
    After a time, we had to double back. But the majority of the time we were walking, I was asking,

    “Please Merciful God, please remove the car next to us,
    so John has more space to back-up and out safely … “

    And so by the time we had walked down the multidutinous number of steps from the walking path along the upper ridge of the reservoir, the car next to us had left. “Glory to You, O merciful, caring, loving Father, because…

Nothing is too great for YOUR almighty Power.
Nothing is too small for YOUR LOVE.*

morning sunrise over the tucson catalina mountains

Next time, three more “lessons”:
#2 God answers before we ask.
#3 God is our GPS on trips and in life.
#4 God sends many kind, interesting people across our paths in life.
*Corrie ten Boom

YOUR TURN, dear Reader

Have you experienced your Father God’s answer to your simple “plea for help”…whether large or small?
Please consider taking a few moments to share right here in the comments.
It will be an encouragement to all of us…so that we continue to pray “and not faint.” TY