When on Deputation, It is easy to think that you have learned enough about God and His faithfulness to be allowed to "enter" fulltime ministry. I am here to share a story, though it may not seem real, I tell you, my family have experienced everything I am about to tell you...in the 3 weeks since Christmas! It shows that God is never finished with teaching us who He is and how we can, and should, trust Him.
We returned home to NY a few days after a fantastic visit home to PA(12/29). That night, just short of 9pm we arrived to a house literally covered in mouse poop. Every floor in the house, in the couch, on ALL of our beds, you name it we found it there! Welcome home to a family who already has been working through making NY and this house home!
As to place an exclamation mark at the end of this discovery, New Year's Eve arrives and we planned a Pizza and video night as a family, together, at home...until we turned the oven on. A stench that you would only understand if you have had mice take over an oven penetrated our house. Needless to say, we ordered pizza that evening. At this point, we were placing traps everywhere and were now without a stove.
The lesson in faith from our resident mice:
Our landlord is a believer and began working with us right away to deal with the issue of mice. Added traps to a house that already seemed a bit dangerous for someone to walk around in it barefoot! He and I tore apart the oven to confirm the damage and the next day they ordered a new one for the house... that would arrive in a week(1/6 - 1/13). Enter our new church family... We had shared our dilemma with Pastor and word got around. Within 24 hours we began getting texts or phone calls of people we only started to get to know asking us out to eat, inviting us to their homes for dinner or willingly dropping off dinner. They filled the entire week with amazingly delicious dinners! We never needed an oven! Our landlord brought in the "PROs" to take the fight to the next level and out new oven looks great! God not only provided dinners and an oven, He also orchestrated a way for our family to get to know several of the families from our new church! He knows what He is doing... right?...
At the same time we are dealing with the mice, God had provided a 2011 Kia Soul as a second v
ehicle so we could get the kids involved in some HS co-op activities. It was under budget and we have been grateful for it! A week ago (1/7) I was running an errand for CBF and when I went to leave the store, the Kia would not start. After I tried to play (as every guy has to!) a bit, I called one of the only people in the area I knew, Pastor. he directed me to a reputable mechanic in the area and as I talk to him on the phone, the Kia fired up and I got home.
The next day (1/8), I got a couple of hours free and went to shoot some wildlife photography about 1/2 mile from home by the river. I enjoyed my time and went to go home... car wouldn't start again. I tried the same strategy that worked on Friday (pray and turn the key) and nothing. You need to know that it was 18-20 degrees out at this point with wind chills nearing 0. I called my landlord (and neighbor) for thoughts on what to do. He came down and spent a couple of hours figuring our what to do after we decided it was not going anywhere on its own power! Again, God shined. Mike (my landlord) called his pastor who "happened" to have an extra tow through his AAA. He was gracious enough to give it to me for a 1/2 mile run home!
Monday (1/10), I called the dealer I bought the Kia from. They told me that they would definitely take a look at it if I got it there (for future reference in the story, they don't cover towing under warranty). I payed $85 to have my car towed to them and by the end of the day, it had a new starter in it at no cost to me!
Then came yesterday (1/13). My wife took the Kia over to a friend's house for hot cocoa and fellowship. When she got in the car to come home, She could not put it in drive. She called me and when I told her to try shutting the car off and moving the shifter, the car would not start and the shifter remained stuck in neutral. I drove down with the Flex and called the dealer again to tell them what was happening. All said and done the dealer paid for a tow back to their shop so they could look at it. The dealer, again, repaired the vehicle at no cost to me.
So what have I learned from this little adventure?
1. God's network is bigger than ours - Just moving here in September, we have very few connections. God showed His connections are much greater than ours - confidence builder for trusting Him!
2. Having a community of believers is huge! - With all who stepped in and assisted in one way or another (towing, car, mice, meals, etc.) having a community of believers is a great thing for help, encouragement, prayer support. I only pray that I can be support for someone within the community of believers God has given us!
3. Once again, God's provision - Once again God shows His promises to be true. Once again I find myself marveling at what He has done... Will I ever get this
before I get to Heaven???
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.
Ephesians 3:20-21
