The summer our son turned 16, we took a road trip to South Carolina for just one day. Yes, I realize that sounds a little crazy. The draw was a special driving school taught by race car drivers, where professional drivers taught new drivers how to avoid crashes and handle tricky situations on the road. Four of us piled in the truck and took off down the road. Somewhere deep in the hills of Virginia, the real adventure of our road trip began.
Our teens sat in the back of our truck intently watching videos. Jay and I listened to music as the miles and hours slipped by. Providentially, our daughter glanced up for a moment and noticed the passenger in the car beside us. With a deeply furrowed brow, they were looking at the front of our truck. But the gauges on our dash were all good, and the engine sounded fine. Still, I asked Jay to pull over to take a quick look, just in case. He respectfully indulged me.
“UH OH”! A COOLANT HOSE HAD BROKEN
We pulled in the parking lot of a trashy little no-name mini-mart. The heat was sweltering, and there was no shade. I prayed for God’s wisdom. Jay climbed onto cinder blocks we found in the parking lot to examine the engine compartment. A minute later I heard, “Uh oh!” A coolant hose was broken. The radiator and reservoir were empty; not a drop of fluid! Thank God we stopped when we did, or there could have been significant engine damage. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your watchful care on this road trip.
MIDDLE OF NOWHERE AND HOURS FROM HOME
But now what? There were no repair facilities nearby; we were hours from home and the driving class, which had taken months to get into, was scheduled to begin soon.
THE EXACT TYPE AND AMOUNT OF COOLANT
Jay is a master at thinking outside of the box and does not give up easily. He decided plugging the end of the broken hose would be the first goal we needed to meet to get back on the road. I scoured the piles of trash in the parking lot, and God led me to a large bolt that fit perfectly! Next, we needed coolant; gallons of it! We dragged our hot, tired bodies into the mini-mart, making a loud sigh as the cool air surrounded us. Our objective changed to searching the shelves of Twinkies, gum, and soda. We discovered our second target on a dusty shelf. There sat the exact type and amount of coolant we needed to fill our radiator. Praise God! Our family made it to South Carolina in time for the driving class. We marveled during the whole road trip at God’s provisions. This was a faith-building breakdown for us.
GOD’S CARE IS RELENTLESS
We still had repairs to make when we got home, and there have been many repairs since then. Life in a broken world is full of difficulties. Even in difficulty, there are many, MANY times God daily provides for us. His care for us is relentless. Do we take the time to recognize and thank Him for his provision, or do we take it for granted? On some of my roughest days, I draw close to God by taking time to praise and thank Him for little things. As I draw closer to Him, the darkness starts to dissipate. His joy begins to fill me. Psalm 16 says there is fullness of joy in God’s presence. I agree wholeheartedly!
YET I WILL REJOICE!
The joy God give us is not dependent on circumstances, as the prophet Habakkuk expresses: “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!” (Habakkuk 3:17-18)
Looking for things to thank God for in the middle of hard times is not easy. But it is effective spiritual warfare and what our Creator and Sustainer deserves. How can you draw close to God through praise and thanks today, whatever your circumstances?