The Word of God reminds us to "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so." In every area of life we must give the glory and praise to the only One Who is worthy. Christ must always be the object of our praise. Often, we act as though the Lord is removed from our daily life and is not involved or care what happens to us on a daily basis. Worshipping the Lord and seeing God's miraculous hand is not something reserved only for Sunday mornings. God cares for us moment by moment, day by day.
A family in our church had given us a van at the beginning of this year. We are very grateful for their generosity and kindness to us. They have been a great encouragement to us. We drove the van to Kansas City to visit my parents with plans to drive it on to Wichita and Dallas to visit other family. We reached Kansas City with no problems, however, I knew that the brake pads needed to be changed. During our visit, I was able to change the pads (under the guidance of my wise father) and we continued our trek to Wichita where my grandfather planned to help me "bleed" some air from the brake lines. You have to be a mechanic to understand some of this–-I am talking over my head when discussing mechanical things.
After greeting my grandparents upon reaching Wichita, my grandfather hopped in the car and tested the brakes to see what needed to be done to adjust the brake system. He no sooner stepped on the pedal when brake fluid began pouring out onto the driveway in rivers. Upon further inspection, it was apparent that the brake lines had rusted through and had we gone much farther in the vehicle, it could have been disastrous. Even an untrained eye could tell that things were not good.
We called AAA to have it towed to a repair shop. As the vehicle was being towed away, I silently gave the situation to the Lord and told Him that it was His situation to fix and that I was not going to worry about it. We proceeded to Texas in my parent's van (complete with air conditioning!) to visit my sisters and brother-in-law. WE had a delightful time together.
Saturday came and I tried to call the repair shop to see what the story would be on the van. Finally, I was able to connect with my grandfather who told me that the shop was closed on Saturday and that he had spoken with the owner. The repair estimate started at $3,500 to $4.000!!! I laughed when I heard it because of course that was completely out of my reach. After that conversation, I spoke with my father who told me not to worry about things, but to just enjoy the time in Texas.
Honestly, we tried to trust the Lord and see that He would work things out for our good and His glory. Jocelyn and I prayed about the situation, but not as earnestly as we should have –– we just knew that the Lord would have to work and that the situation was way beyond our control.
We returned to Wichita where we cleaned out the old van and said goodbye. We finally made it back to Kansas City where I arranged to rent a van. That was not an easy task. Tuesday evening, Mom and Dad suggested that we go to a local petting zoo and grab dinner before we pick up the rental van to return home the next day.
As we walked out of the house to leave for the evening, there was a slate grey Chrysler Town and Country van sitting in the driveway with a ribbon on it. I could not believe it––my parents had rented us a beautiful van to return home! As I stood there, Mom told me that the van was not a rental, but ours to keep!!! I could not believe my eyes––I was overwhelmed!!! As Jocelyn and I stood there with the kids not understanding what was transpiring, they relayed the amazing story of how the Lord worked it out for my parents to purchase the van. That is an amazing story in itself.
Even now, I get a bit emotional as I think of how the Lord used my parents to encourage our faith in Him and how they are a blessing to us. We never expected anything so beautiful in our lives. The van is a 1999 top 'o the line Town and Country! It has leather, dual air conditioning, and every other option you can imagine. It is an amazing vehicle. The color is beautiful––a deep slate (grey, almost black)! If we had chosen something for ourselves, we could not have picked out a more perfect vehicle. We are so grateful not just for the physical gift of the vehicle, but for the sacrifice and love with which it was given to us.
Only eternity will tell how it encouraged our faith in the Lord to know that He used my parents to be a blessing to us. The reason I write this epistle is to encourage you to be strong in the Lord and to remember that He knows exactly where you are and exactly what you need. He cares for you and desires for His children to look to Him to meet their needs. He is so good!
Mom and Dad, thank you for allowing the Lord to use you to encourage our family. I never shall forget the meaning of this gift and know that it is a means for us to serve the Lord in a greater way and to spur us on to greater faith in Him. Thank you! We love you!
To those of you who may be going through a difficult time––don't give up. Keep praying. The Lord is near and knows your needs. He is proving you and bringing you closer to Himself.
Thank you for all your prayers and your kind words.
Click here for the full slideshow from the Mesquite Rodeo.Until next time,
ST
"Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable." (Psalm 145:3)
