THE ROAD, THE SICKNESS, AND THE GRACE THAT CARRIED ME
A Pilgrim Sojourner Reflection by Sharon (SD) Mac
For the last two weeks, it feels like I’ve been living more on highways and back roads than inside my own home. Maybe I went home twice, just long enough to wash clothes, reset my mind, and breathe before heading right back out again.
That’s what this pilgrim sojourner journey looks like: you move, you adjust, you endure, and you lean completely on the Lord because your own strength won’t cut it.
Last week was no different. I came home for a moment only to jump straight into a concert I was part of. Then Friday came another travel day and I worked straight until 9 p.m., even though I’d been awake since 3 a.m.
But by God’s grace, one of my BFF Jules, one of my real ones, someone who has never left my side picked me up so we could head out together and work this concert.
And let me clarify something important:
–Jules is my Romy, and I’m her Michele– YES, from Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion…
If you know the movie, then you understand the kind of friendship I’m talking about:
• The inside jokes
• The loyalty
• The “we got each other’s back no matter what”
• The goofiness
• The ridiculous-but-real love
That’s us.
That’s the handful of true friends in my life. The ones with pure intentions, no hidden motives, just compassion and encouragement rooted in Christ.
These are the friendships Scripture talks about:
• “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”
— Proverbs 17:17
• “Two are better than one… If they fall, one will lift up his fellow.”
— Ecclesiastes 4:9–10
• “The sweetness of a friend comes from earnest counsel.”
— Proverbs 27:9
Not the friends who give worldly advice like:
“Fight back.”
“You’re too nice.”
“You’re a people pleaser.”
“You’re weak.”
It’s not weakness.
It’s obedience.
It’s trusting that the Lord is my Advocate.
And yes, I’ve tried responding the world’s way before and God humbled me real fast. (That’s another story for another blog.)
–THE LONG ROAD TO HOUSTON-
We left around 9:30–10 p.m. and drove three and a half hours to pick up another dear friend, Lanielyn, who I love like a little sister.
Let me tell you about her: She’s genuine, real, no fakeness ever. A talented entrepreneur…a closer… salesperson, a beautiful person inside and out. When we work together, we help close clients like a tag-team. God placed her in my journey with purpose.
After picking her up, we drove another three hours to Houston.
We arrived exhausted, slept maybe two hours, then woke up to run errands and work the event. By the end of the concert that night, my body was DONE.
Stress + junk food + weather change + lack of sleep = crash.
But the night still wasn’t over.
We left the venue around 1:30 a.m., went back to the Airbnb, grabbed Lanielyn’s bag, took her to the airport for her early flight, but before that we wnt and even had Pho at 3 a.m. because at that point, survival mode requires noodles.
At the drop-off lane, Jules noticed the tire was losing air fast.
Let me paint this for you:
• 4 a.m.
• Raining
• Dark
• Houston
• A not-so-great neighborhood
• A tire dying in real time
This was not a moment for bravery.
This was a moment for prayer.
Gas stations were closed or dimly lit, so we prayed, held our breath, and I drove slowhoping the tire would hold just long enough.
By God’s grace, it did.
Sometimes God’s grace looks like strength.
Sometimes it looks like protection.
And sometimes?
Grace is a tire that holds on longer than it should.
-SICK ON THE ROAD-
I thought sleep would fix things, but when I woke up, it was worse.
Before we even checked out, I threw up in the bathroom.
Then again while waiting in the car.
Then four more times in the next 30 minutes.
Then again on the way to the tire shop.
Then again at Buc-ee’s.
Being sick while traveling is not glamorous.
It’s humbling.
It’s uncomfortable.
It’s lonely.
And honestly?
It’s scary.
You don’t know where to rest.
You don’t know if the next bathroom is clean.
You don’t know when your body is going to give out again.
But God gave me Jules that day…
A steady driver.
A calming presence.
A comforting friend.
I trusted her enough to fall asleep in the car, which never happens for me.
And when I was awake enough to talk, we talked about:
• God’s mercy
• God’s sovereignty
• Sermons she heard at church
• And the grace God gives even when you have nothing left
That’s the kind of friendship Scripture describes…A friend who points you back to the Lord.
-PROVIDENCE IN EVERY MILE — REFORMED THEOLOGY IN REAL LIFE-
Reformed theology teaches something that shapes every part of my walk:
NOTHING is random.
Nothing is wasted.
Nothing is outside God’s sovereign hand.
Every mile.
Every delay.
Every sickness.
Every mercy.
Every friend.
Every conversation.
Every tear.
Every laugh.
Every breath.
All ordained.
All purposeful.
All woven together by a faithful God.
• “The steps of a man are established by the LORD.” — Psalm 37:23
• “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9
• “All things work together for good for those who love God.”
— Romans 8:28
Every stop we made.
Every moment of nausea.
Every mile Jules drove.
Every quiet prayer.
Every victory and every exhaustion.
God was there.
God was sovereign.
God was guiding.
-STRENGTH WHEN LIFE DOESN’T PAUSE-
By day five…still sick…I had to get back on the road and work again.
Life doesn’t stop.
Bills don’t pause.
Responsibilities don’t wait for your body to recover.
And I remembered something painful and real:
The day after Steve died, I had to work.
Life didn’t pause then, and it doesn’t pause now.
But God carried me then.
And God carries me now.
He even gave me a small joy in all this:
I got to see my other BFF, Soniya, even for five minutes. She fed me vegetable soup like a true friend that she is. She is a wise, gifted, artistic soul, my henna artist and my friend. That tiny act meant everything.
Sometimes God’s mercy looks like soup from someone who loves you.
-UNTIL GOD CALLS ME HOME-
This journey is messy, exhausting, beautiful, unexpected, and sanctifying.
And until the Lord calls me home, I will:
• Serve Him
• Travel
• Work
• Write
• Share His goodness
• Testify of His mercy
• Keep going wherever He leads
Because He has NEVER left me.
Not in grief.
Not in exhaustion.
Not in sickness.
Not in danger.
Not in those dark Houston streets at 4 a.m. with a dying tire.
He provides the strength.
He provides the people.
He provides the grace for every mile.
-This reminds me of the…BIBLE STORIES THAT HOLD THIS JOURNEY-
1. Elijah Under the Broom Tree — 1 Kings 19
Exhausted, overwhelmed, ready to give up.
God sent rest, food, strength, and direction.
Just like He sustained me when my body had nothing left.
2. Paul’s Thorn — 2 Corinthians 12
God doesn’t remove every hardship.
Instead, He magnifies His strength through our weakness.
Sickness on the road became a reminder of His sufficiency.
3. The Good Samaritan — Luke 10
A story of providence and compassion.
God sends the right person at the right time.
Just like He sent Jules to drive, care, and carry me through.
4. Ruth & Naomi — Ruth 1
A covenant friendship formed by loyalty and love.
A picture of the friendships God has placed in my life…
Friends who walk with me through loss, sickness, fear, and faith.
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