Recently, my husband and I decided to go to the beach to watch the sunset. We picked up our dinner curbside and drove to Dunedin Causeway, a local spot with wonderful sunset views.

We enjoyed our shrimp dinners and the waves rippling against the shore. Pelicans diving for their dinner is one of my favorite things to watch, and it was perfect timing!

My husband, Paul, is a photographer, so he set up his tripod to take some photos of the sunset. As time for the sunset came and went, it was apparent we weren’t going to get to see one, as the clouds moved in and obscured the view. But we had enjoyed the experience anyway.

As I tried to start the car to leave, it made a strange sound. The lights on the dashboard lit up, but it wouldn’t start. It was dead. No problem, we thought. We have AAA! As a side note, this service has been very helpful to us, especially me, as I have locked my keys in my car a number of times over the years (stories for another time).

The AAA lady, who was clearly in a state other than Florida, came on the phone and politely asked for the address where we were. “The beach,” I responded. “On Dunedin Causeway.”

“Hmmmm,” she said. “I don’t see that on the map. What’s a cross street nearby?”

“There isn’t one. We’re at the beach.”

As she continued to pleasantly look for a cross-street, I said, “Whoever you send will be local, and they will know exactly where we are.” She didn’t sound convinced. I said, “Tell them we are on the beach by the restrooms.” I’m sure I was her most interesting call of the day, although a frustrating one.

A few minutes later, “Bill” called my cell phone. “We’re on the Dunedin Causeway by the restrooms,” I informed him. “Yeah! I know exactly where you are!” He arrived soon after, changed our battery, and we were on our way.

God always knows where you are.

As reassuring as it was for the AAA guy to know where we were, an amazing thing is that God always knows where we are! The creator and sustainer of the world will comfort and help you.

Psalm 139:3 says, “You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways…”

I do not ride roller coasters.

In my teen years I rode them a few times, but I was never really a fan. Maybe it’s because I like to have my feet planted on the ground and control of my direction.

On a particularly sunny, pleasant day, a friend and I went to Disney. As we meandered around Animal Kingdom, we came upon “Expedition Everest,” a ride that goes into a mountain and comes out on the other side. I could see the riders on it, and it looked harmless — even like they enjoyed it.

Here’s the problem: there was no line. Fans of Disney and other theme parks will think that’s not a problem — it’s a great stroke of luck! I didn’t have time to think about my decision to be open-minded, as we literally strolled straight onto the “train” of this roller coaster. It was pleasant and fun as we slowly went up a hill, into the pitch black mountain. Suddenly, we were FALLING STRAIGHT BACK DOWN IN THE DARK! All I could think of was, “God, please help me survive this.” It seemed never-ending, as we fell into an abyss.

As we exited the train, I said, “Never again. Never again. You will never get me on one of those things again.” Of course my friend was laughing, partly because she enjoyed it so much, but mostly because I was traumatized. (What are friends for again?)

This short story is not about the ups and downs of life, although that would make sense, being about a roller coaster ride. It’s about the downs. The spiraling backwards in the dark when you don’t know if your situation will ever end. When we have dark experiences, we should remember that God is right there with us. He is our hope in the downs of life. (“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1-3)

Whether you are in a spiraling out-of-control job, relationship, diagnosis, or financial situation, He cares. He is with you if you ask him to be.

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you.” (Isaiah 41:10)

I don’t normally have theological discussions in the Walmart parking lot. But on this particular occasion, I ran into (not literally) a friend, Margaret. We had known each other for a few years through our church, and she had recently graduated from seminary. Looking and listening for her first place of ministry was proving to be challenging. As we talked, a verse came to mind that had been very helpful to me when my husband was awaiting his first “call” to a church.

In our case, Paul was about to graduate from seminary after three years. It was springtime, and we had to move out of our duplex on the campus in a few weeks. We had no clue where we were going, and I was concerned. I was in a Bible Study Fellowship class, and around this time the teaching leader referred to II Corinthians 2:14.

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.”

She vividly described Christ, dressed in purple (a sign of royalty), riding atop a white horse in an incredible procession. Picturing this and seeing myself following Jesus was very comforting to me. I knew that when the time was right, he would lead us to where he wanted us to serve.

As I described this to Margaret, I could see peace and relief come across her face. She knew he was leading her, and she felt our encounter was what he had used to reassure her. She went on to serve at a church in California, but we had connections that enabled us to see one another every now and then. Whenever I saw her, we always talked about our divine meeting.

Are you in Christ’s triumphal procession? He will lead you, too. Watch and listen for him! And remember he can use us anywhere, anytime.

Even in the Walmart parking lot.