Verses for the Road

There is something so inexplicably comforting about Psalm 139.

I love knowing that I am so well known, that my Creator cares who I am, what I do and where I go. At times, it can also be unnerving because the things that I think that I do in the dark, that are so cleverly hidden, are actually clear as day to the One who matters most. It is a psalm to remember, memorize, take comfort in, hold onto and take seriously.

When I finished graduate school, I chose Psalm 139:9-10 as my career verses, knowing that I had chosen a life of international work:

"If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast."

I cannot tell you how often they have brought me comfort. In the remote jungles of South Africa, their promises rang true. In the desert of Senegal, they brought me reassurance. In the slums of India, the villages of Nicaragua, the streets of Havana, the midnight flights over the Atlantic, each time I have clung to these verses because they bring me peace that I am not forgotten nor lost in a strange new place.

As I begin to pack and look ahead to my next adventure, I find myself once again holding tight to these two verses. Most of the time I embrace these trips, but in those moments that cause uncertainty, hesitation and fear, He gently brings these words to mind.