Sunday, December 27, 2009

All Things Work Together for Good

When we got in the car to go to church this morning, we discovered that our car was having major problems. It was still drivable, but the heater, radio, and basically everything else was disabled. So we drove to church in our frigid car and pulled into a parking spot, only to discover that the car would not turn off! Every time T tried to put the car in park, there was a horrible, loud grinding noise, and he couldn't pull the keys out, either. So the kids and I went into church, and some guys came over to help T. To make a long story short, T drove the car back home and pulled out some fuses to get the car to stop. So now we need to get the car towed and repaired.

BUT, the good thing is, it turns out that one of the men who helped T this morning is in charge of our church's moving team, which we didn't even know existed. So he said he'll put out the word and recruit some guys to help us move this Saturday!

Also, some kind friends from church are letting us borrow one of their cars until we can get ours fixed. They packed up their whole family and drove from their house, which is half an hour away, just to deliver the car to us tonight.

When I was a child, I heard stories about George Müller, the orphanage director who prayed fervently and trusted God to provide--and He did, in amazing ways. I wanted to be that close to God and have that kind of faith, but I didn't know how to go about it. In the almost-five years that T and I have been married, I've had to exercise a lot of faith in God's ability to take care of us. At first it was hard for me--very hard. I cried a lot during our first year together when T didn't have a steady job and we didn't even own a car. But every time a situation came up where I honestly didn't know how we were going to make it, God blessed us abundantly, often through our caring church family. And each time it became a little easier for me to trust God, because I felt a little closer to Him and I remembered what He had done for us in times past. I'm not saying I have faith anywhere near George Müller's, but I realized today that I'm truly not worried about this car situation or the expenses of our upcoming move, and that is a "God thing." He has changed me in the last five years. Strangely, I always feel closer to Him when life is not perfect and I'm more aware of my need for Him--not just for His provision, but for Him.

1 comment:

Bill-n-Erin said...

I love this, Melissa. Just now I am reading a book Bill recommended to me, Finding Calcutta by Mary Poplin, and your story and the George Müller reference remind me of what I'm reading. Mary Poplin is a Protestant who, after experiencing a newfound awakening to faith, asked to visit and volunteer with Mother Teresa. Excellent book on faith - Poplin is professor of education (PhD) at Claremont Graduate Univ in CA. Anyway ....