Vacation Eye Opener: The Country Is Still Afraid

By Martha Noebel
CBN Staff Writer

CBN.com -- I have just returned from 10 glorious days of vacation. My family and I went to Florida to visit our grandson. We needed the break from the routine and my husband had booked a wonderful resort house for us to enjoy. It was a good time. We laughed, played in the pool, visited local theme parks, and ate out most of the time.

I was so glad I didn't have to cook. Like most moms, I needed a break too.

As most families do on a trip, we played games in the car. It had not been too long into the trip when I began to notice a large variety of license plates from other states. We started writing them down. The list grew and I could hardly believe some of the states we were seeing. We saw license plates from as far away as Alaska, California, Oregon, Washington state, Utah, Nevada, Mexico, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, and at least four providences in Canada. By the time we were finished, license plates from almost all of the 50 states had been seen.

That's not all. They were heading for Florida, just like me. People had decided that they needed to spend time with their families. They gathered moms, dads, children, grandparents, pets, bikes, boats, and anything else they could find to make their vacation the best it could be. As I watched the cars passing by, filled to the brim with "the stuff," I was amazed. I saw how important it was for them that even the handicapped grandparents were brought and pushed in wheelchairs everywhere they went. They were determined to be together and to have fun.

So many people had decided to vacation the same week I did that there were 2 hour lines in most places we went. I read in the newspaper that there were record numbers of people in the Disney parks. The restaurants were filled, the hotels were booked to capacity, even the lines to the gas station restrooms went from the back of the store to the front door. I have never seen anything like it.

The worst part was the ride home. Everyone (well it seemed that way) decided to leave Florida at the same time. The roads were backed up and we could only move about 25 miles an hour. A 3 to 4 hour trip out of Florida lasted 8 hours. We finally got off the road at an exit and prayed for a place to spend the night so we could begin again in the morning.

It was about then that we realized what the problem was. Our country is afraid of flying. I know I should have caught on to this before now, but I didn't. I kept saying that something wasn't right. I wanted to figure it out, but I couldn't. Then a man standing in line with me at a stop we made told us the answer. He said that the people are afraid to fly. The 9/11 incident has still scared everyone to the extent that they would drive from very far away, and even take an extra week to travel if necessary. The country realized that family is important but safety is still an issue for them.

I felt so sad when I realized what was happening. I thought our nation was further along in the process of healing than this. So I am now asking for the people of God to continue to pray for those who are still so afraid. "The Fear Factor" is still controlling the lives of people. The Word says,

"God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power and of love and of a sound mind" II Timothy 1:7 (NKJV).

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV).
Please pray for our nation. May we live in peace and not in fear. May we learn to turn to God and to trust in Him at all times. People need the Lord. Share His love to a neighbor or friend. We don't need to be afraid. We have God.
Martha welcomes your responses at dvtd2hm1@aol.com
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