I heard a scream and jerked my head around in time to see my sweet Rachel fall face-first on the stairs. We were in the middle of an idyllic summer at a primitive cabin with no access to phone service, and Bo had our only vehicle with him at work.

There was lots of blood, and I felt terrified and helpless. I tried to remain calm and started cleaning Rachel up in order to assess the situation. There was a deep cut on her nose, and her whole face was swelling. I worried that her nose was broken. We had a neighbor nearby who could give us a ride if we needed one, but the nearest hospital was more than an hour away. It was late in the afternoon, so I decided to wait until Boaz got home.

Inside, I was a wreck. My mind flooded with fearful thoughts. Why did this happen? Hadn’t God led us to this little “Garden of Eden?” Had we made a foolish decision? With all these overwhelming questions and feelings running through me, I sensed the Lord leading me to draw assurance from His Word. As I opened my Bible, it fell open to Psalm 34. I cried as I read the chapter filled with reassurances of the Lord’s watch care over us. Then I came to verse 20, describing the Lord’s protection for the righteous: “He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken.” A familiar sense of peace flooded my soul as I sensed the Lord assuring me that Rachel’s nose was not broken. “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.” —Ruth Church

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