The Learning Cycle

So I take my daughter on this awesome wilderness trip to Canada, eh. The design of the journey was to stretch both Madison and I in the area of leadership and learning. What we didn't know was the extent that God would be placing us into His school of protection and provision.

Thursday was a day of talk and travel into Michigan. We stayed in a town called Paw Paw. Friday was a day of reconnnecting with an old friend, Bob Moore. He has been my friend for over twenty five years. I wanted to demonstrate to Madison that "friends are friends forever if the Lord's the Lord of them" (thanks Michael W.). The visit was outstanding but we needed to make it into Canada by Friday evening.

We left Detriot and entered Windsor, Canada. This was Madison's first time to Canada. We started up the road for a few hours before stopping at the famous Tim Hortons donut shop. We stopped and pounded down a coffee and maple covered donut. Little did we know what was coming our way in twenty minutes.

As we headed up the 401 (the heaviest traveled freeway in Canada) traffic began to get heavy. The flow was erratic and cars were slowing and speeding up constantly. As we approached the rush hour traffic, the car in front of me stopped rather abruptly. I applied the brakes but to no avail - I hit the guy in front of me. A four car pile up; air bags deployed; and a big cloud of smoke filled the interior of the car.

Madison immediately said, "It is okay dad". Those words will never leave my mind. So comforting, so strong for a fourteen year old. We got out of the car to examine the damage as well as to check on everyone else. No one was hurt but four cars were smashed up. The reality set in.

Police, fire trucks, ambulances and tow trucks convened. It was surreal. There stood my little girl in all the chaos - strong and intent. It took about an hour to clear the scene. As we sat in the cab of the tow truck, I heard a little sniffling. I asked Madison, "Why are you crying?" She said, "Because God protected us, it could have been much worse."

Isn't it amazing how God gives us some of the most unlikely teachers in the strangest circumstances to show us His protection over us?