One Down More To Go

 Waiting is not always fun. Waiting on God can be frustrating if you get impatient. He is an always on time God. His timing is perfect. I began praying for vehicles back in the fall of 2017. The need was legitimate. We had vehicles with 320,000 and 280,000 miles on them.  Our vehicles range in age from fifteen to seventeen years old. We found in our place of needing not one, but three vehicles at the same time. 

No problem some would say. Go down to the local car dealership and finance each of them. That is what most people do. I am reminded the borrower is slave to the lender. We have asked God for these vehicles all debt free. 

Many years ago I committed to God I would never go in debt for another vehicle. I would trust Him to provide as my family had seen Him do repeatedly in the past. With that conviction in my heart, I began the long process of petitioning God for, not one vehicle, but a minimum of three. Three vehicles without going a single penny in debt. I also asked God to do it all close together so that He would get the glory. 

Impossible. Improbable. Presumptuous. I have heard it all before. Walking by faith sounds exciting when you hear the miracle stories. It is also scattered with skeptics along the way. I have seen and heard it all before. I trust God and wait for Him to silence the doubters. 

Like I said in the beginning, waiting is not fun. We have visited car lots. We have shopped online. We have contacted private sellers and over and over again walked away from deals we thought too high. We never kept praying and waiting on God to come through. 

Like a woman carrying a child in the womb, I have carried this burden for vehicles in my spirit for three years now. Some may have interpreted the long delay as God refusing our requests. His timing is perfect and so the wait continues. I never asked God for brand new vehicles. I did ask Him for His best for my family. I prayed and waited. We saw the provision of God and saved a little miracle money. Then Corona hit and the price of used cars sky rocketed. It forced us to pray harder and wait longer. 

Last night Brenda and I went to look at an older truck. We were surprised to learn the man selling the truck graduated from Seminole High School. We served the FBC of Seminole, TX back from 2009-2011. We love the people of Seminole. We knew this could not be coincidence. We have just been studying ways God speaks to His people with our community of faith. We have learned God speaks through the Holy Spirit in the Bible, by prayer, circumstances and the church to reveal Himself and His purposes. Frank, who sold the truck is a follower of Jesus. That circumstance gave us peace. When we drove the vehicle we had more peace. We pulled the trigger and made the deal. 

We were able, by the great provision and blessing of God, to pay cash for a 2005 truck. It shows it age. Yet, we believe it is the first answer to this prayer. One vehicle answer to prayer given. 

Now, we move onto to believing God for the next two. Brenda is driving the oldest vehicle in our family. She needs a new one. Even now is needs additional mechanical repairs. That car was a gift from God through a loving church member in a previous church. I do not count it as one of the three vehicles we prayed for because, over $4,000 has been spent on mechanical repairs for the vehicles and right now we need additional repair work done on the engine. It is time for a new vehicle. When I say new one, that does not mean brand new unless that is God's design. We are perfectly content with used vehicles if that is God's plan. Our status and identity are not caught up in what we drive. We typically drive vehicles until there is not much life left in them. So we pray and watch to see what God will do for Brenda. 

Turner has been driving my truck. I am glad for him to do so. That means the majority of the time I do not have transportation. It all works well. When I stay in Weatherford, I literally have to walk less than 20 yards to get to the office. When I am in Runaway Bay, my office is 15 paces from my bed. 

Tuner has patiently waited his turn to get a vehicle of his own. He saw God provide for his brothers and trusts God will provide for him too. We have prayed with him and for him about this matter. Again, we are resolved we will not go in debt. God is our provider and He is perfectly able to provide the need on the front end as He is able to provide on a monthly basis. We believe He gets more glory by doing it all debt free. 

So we continue to pray and trust God to complete the miracle. I have publicly stated our belief that God would provide three vehicles debt free before. Not to solicit money from people, but so when God does it HE WILL GET THE GLORY! He is able to do it. We have legitimate needs. While we are not abounding in finances, our Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He knows our needs. He knows our address. He is able to get any vehicle He desires for us into our possession without going in debt. 

So I awake eager today with a heart of faith to watch for what God will do next. I go to the mail box everyday anticipating the next miracle. I ask, seek and knock knowing through experience that we receive, we find, and doors are opened for our family. 

One down and more to go. I look forward to testifying even more in the days to come as God completes the miracles of three vehicles. Truth be told, I have actually in recent days begun asking for even more. He is able to do exceedingly and abundantly more than we ask or think. So I ask big because, big praying produces big glory for God. One miracle vehicle down. More to come. Praise His holy name.