"Close Call"

Turned that new car over,

And rolled it down a ditch,

Dern thing landed upside down,

Didn’t know which way was which.

‘Cause, yes, I had been drinkin’,

After the rodeo,

Went to sleep while driving,

Thank God was traveling slow.

And I got out without a scratch,

I’d call it a close call,

The Good Lord watching over me,

I’m thankful for it, y’all.

We were after that old bull,

‘Cause twice he got away

And, brother, we took down our ropes,

And went to make him pay.

And just as I pitched out my loop,

My good horse hit the ground,

And course I fell right with him,

He stumbled and went down.

And right there could have broke my neck,

Been paralyzed or killed,

But I got up and stepped back on,

Somehow it’s God that willed,

That chasing that old bull that day,

Wouldn’t be my last,

I’d call it a real close call,

I remember from my past.

Fast forward to my middle years,

Though I worked out and was fit,

I started having trouble,

It was my heart, that’s it.

A pain deep down inside my chest,

I was feelin’ really sick,

They got me to the ER,

Pretty soon, yes, pretty quick.

Doctor said your vein is blocked,

The other’s even worse,

And if we didn’t catch it,

You’d soon be in a hearse.

I’d call it a real close call,

Though the Lord, He pulled me through,

My old ticker’s doing well,

But I don’t have a clue,

How much left of life I have,

After these calls so close,

But I’ll say that I believe,

That the Good Lord knows.

That when I’ve done all He has planned,

On earth for me to do,

He will open heaven’s door,

With Jesus I’ll go through.

And I am ready when He says,

My son, it’s time to go,

His grace through every real close call,

Will take me home I know.

“All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:16, NIV)

The Psalmist recognized the sovereign plan of God that governed the days of his life. This in no way means that his choices were meaningless. It simply means that he realized that there was something more going on than the randomness of human choice and activity. There is freedom, but how much no one knows. Does God cause everything to happen? Clearly, no. But does God cause everything that happens to work together for the good of those who love God? Absolutely. Our lives are ordained by God. Our days are numbered by God. God knows us from the beginning to the end and beyond. It should give us great comfort and peace to know that God’s grace helps us through every close call.

Lord, give us the wisdom to number our days, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Robert “Shoofly” Shufelt, used by permission. Thanks, and God bless you.