On Thursday of last week, Christy began her new job. She is doing some cooking and some cleaning up at an assisted living place in Kings Mountain. She seems to be enjoying the job and is very thankful for the opportunity to be working.
Sunday morning arrived, and we were on the way to church when Christy suddenly said, "Oh, great," and pulled off into the entryway of a gas station. Yes, the car had stalled. It came to a stop right in the middle of the entry way. I went up to the convenience store and told a worker there what had happened, but she said that was OK because most people don't use that entrance anyway.
While we were looking at the car and trying to assess the problem, one of the families from our church drove by. Their young son happened to see us and told his parents we were there. That family turned around and came back and picked us up to take us to church. We had planned to call AAA to come tow us, but this was a blessing as I was thinking, "How am I ever going to get into the tow truck?"
The Lord provided a car for Christy to take to work on Monday, and then our cousin offered to let us borrow his car to use as long as we need it. Thank You, Lord, for this provision.
At church last night there was good preaching, and we enjoyed some fellowship with our friends after the meeting. One of our friends nick-named me Hop-a-long. A couple of months ago, my sister injured her foot and someone at church nick-named her Step and a Half. So now at our house live Hop-a-long and Step and a Half; and Step and a Half has the privilege of driving Rumblety-bump. Rumblety-bump is what I nick-named the car our cousin let us borrow. It makes a horrible noise and rumbles and shakes. But it runs, and the seats are very comfortable. I might get spoiled relaxing in the passenger's seat if we go out too many times. :-)
This morning we were blessed with the opportunity to attend one of the opening revival meetings at Ambassador Baptist College. When we got in the car to leave for the meeting, my sister asked, "Did you bring your [house] keys?" Well, it's a little too late to ask now! :-) We decided to go to the meeting and worry about the problem when we got home. After we got back, I sat on a chair on the front porch while my sister went to get some help. There is no shade on the front porch until 2:00 p.m. or so, and it was about 11:00 a.m., so it was close to 100 degrees on the porch. However, I did get to soak up some Vitamin D.
The meeting at Ambassador was very good. The preacher's text was Galatians 2:20, but he touched briefly on the story of King Jehoshaphat in II Chronicles 20. This caught my attention because it was the third time this week I had heard a message on that very passage of Scripture. Also, this morning, a friend sent me the verse, Joshua 1:9, and this was an encouragement. This was one of the verses the Lord used to work in Mom and Dad's hearts as they prepared to return to Papua New Guinea three years ago, so it is a special verse to us.
Even as I thanked the Lord for the encouragement from His word, I was somewhat sobered. It seemed strange that these things had been repeated so many times this week. Is the Lord just sending some special encouragement, or is He preparing us for an even greater test in the days to come. I do not know, but for now, I will just rest in Him.
The things that have been happening the past few weeks strike me as a bit humoruous as I remember some events that happened a couple of years ago. About two years ago, at about the same time of year, there was a very similar series of events involving a job, an injured foot, a broken down car, and locking ourselves out of the house (the same house)!
The main difference in the events of two years ago was the order of events. It was July when I seriously injured my foot. For two weeks I couldn't even walk on it. A cane was my handy helper for quite a while after that.
A little while after I was able to walk with a cane, our car broke down. We called AAA to come tow us, and that time I did have to get in the tow truck. That must have been quite a sight!
In September, on one of the night's of Mission's Conference at our church, we accidentally locked ourselves out of our house. We ended up late for church as we waited for some help getting back in.
Later the Lord provided a new car, but it died soon after we got it. The motor was rebuilt, and the car returned to us. Right after we got the car back, Christy lost her job. She was out of work from December of 2009 until just last week.
I don't know what the Lord is trying to teach us, but there must be some special lessons that we need to learn. Thank the Lord that He is faithful to be our Teacher. "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." (James 1:2,3)