In the Nick of Time

When my children were small, I worried all the time about them getting hurt. My oldest, Matt, says I was overprotective ... nonsense, I say, sheer nonsense. Just because I followed them around when they were learning to walk so that I could catch them if they stumbled, or made them wear elbow and knee pads and helmets when they rode their tricycles, or wouldn't let them walk to the mailbox down the street alone ... nah ... none of that made me an overprotective mom at all. When my kids laugh and tease me about some of my over-the-top mom behavior from the past, I remind them that they have no idea how many times my so-called crazy protectiveness saved them from life-threatening injury. That's right ... they don't know how many times I rescued them ... just in the nick of time.

This afternoon, I took my Julie to the trail to practice her new leash-walking skills. It was a gray, chilly day, and my mood as we crossed the street and headed for my beloved trail matched the skies above. We weren't very far along on the path when I had to stomp on the slip-lead around Julie's neck to get her to stop dragging me like a rag doll behind her as she lunged and tugged on the leash. A few times of stepping on the lead and reprimanding her, and she calmed down a bit and walked at a more normal pace. Except, of course, for when she took off for the creek, causing me to take a face-first dive into the muddy bank near the coursing water. Fortunately, there was a gentleman on the path who saw Julie dragging me toward the frigid liquid. He jumped into action and managed to step on the slip-lead and stopped her in her tracks ... just in the nick of time.

The nick of time ... hmmm ... the nick of time. I wondered as Julie and I finally made our way home how often God has rescued me just in the nick of time. How often has He protected me from harm or illness or sin or despair just in the nick of time? How often has He rescued me from danger or destruction or death just in the nick of time? How often has He saved me from myself just in the nick of time? How often indeed.

As Julie and I walked into the garage, the heavens opened and let loose a torrent of rain. "Look at that, girl," I said to my tired hound. "We made it home just in the nick of time ... just in the nick of time."