My husband and I love going to the mountains. In particular, we especially enjoy going to Cades Cove. This is located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is an eleven mile loop that you can drive through to see wildlife and nature. Countless hours can be spent in Cades Cove, enjoying the original churches and homes, hiking on various trails, horseback riding, and more.

The main road is paved and easy to navigate. But there are a few gravel roads located in Cades Cove that you can drive down as well. A few years back, when we were visiting Cades Cove with one of my sisters, we witnessed another tourist’s car slide off one of the gravel roads. There was a young bear crossing the road at the time. And there was also a lot of traffic, as many were trying to get a glimpse of the bear. In one particular vehicle, the driver got too close to the edge where there happened to be a drop off. The passenger side tires were no longer on the road.

In this position, they could not get traction to get themselves out of their predicament. In the car was an elderly couple, both with disabilities. My family and a few other families gathered around to see what could be done. We managed to get both of the people out of the car and at a safe distance. My husband got behind the wheel of their car and helped steer, as another man pulled the car with his truck. In the end, we got the car back on the road, and no one was harmed.

A few things stand out to me when I think about this story. First is the grace of God. This situation could have turned out much worse. The couple in the car, as well as those who stopped to help, could have been hurt. In situations like these, many of us would have been tempted to complain, cry, or get angry. But if we look around and see how God has helped us, it can bring comfort and peace to our hearts.

“Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.” – Psalm 147:5

Another thing that stands out to me is that there are still good people in the world. When we step out our doors or turn on the news, we see a lot of evil in the world. It can easily discourage us. We might be tempted to feel as though there is only discord around us. But there are still good people around who will help those in need. It is heartwarming to see a group of strangers lend a hand to other human beings.

Also, this story shows me how much we can do as humans. As Christians we are called to help out those in need. But many times we allow fear or pride to hold us back. It would be easy to think, “Oh well, someone else will help them.” But perhaps you are that someone else who needs to help. We should be a light in this dark world, and look for opportunities to spread the love of God.

“Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” – Hebrews 13:1-2

We cannot allow the bad things in this world to take our focus. Instead we have to train our eyes to look for the good. The enemy always wants us to focus on the negative side of things, causing us to feel anger, depression, worry, anxiety, and fear. He wants us to live in constant despair. But we don’t have to live that way. We can look for the good around us and live in God’s perfect peace.

Post (c) 2020 by Bridget A. Thomas. Photo (c) 2013 by Bridget A. Thomas. (This is the road and the bear that I referred to above.)