Faith to Move A Car by Jorge Parrott God delights in surprising us. I can not help but think he really does get a big hoot out of just loving us in such a mind blowing way that I can just see him up there in Heaven just laughing and roaring. Bob Jones has called the Lord Jehovah 'Sneaky'. Bob would know. A couple of years ago, friends of ours, let's call them Bill and Mary, who were new missionaries with CMM, were planning their first trip overseas. I was sending them to Guatemala to visit Cliff and Sunny Grant, in Coban. The Grants have lived in Guatemala for almost 27 years and have much fruit coming from their ministry. This couple from Charlotte had been through training with some well known ministries in deliverance, prayer, healing, and were ready to step out in faith to experience more of the Lord.
In my dealings with Bill and Mary, I learned soon that Mary was more laid back and Bill a bit more hyper about having all the plans, transportation, and activities very well planned out so there would not be surprises.
Knowing that Bill was a bit prone to anxiety I did not tell him a month before that Clifford's motor in his Suburban had died. We were working to raise funds from Cliff's partners to rebuild or replace the motor but the funds did not show up. We had all the details worked out with Bill and Mary that Cliff and his son, Michael, would drive the three and half hours south from Coban to the Capitol to meet the guests coming in for their first overseas mission trip. We even had it down to a science that the Grants would have a sign printed with their name on it to greet them at the airport.
A few days before the departure date Bill saw an article I had emailed out to CMM friends and partners that Cliff needed prayer and finances for the motor. Bill promptly called me up to see "if it was God for them to go or not". He also got a severe fever and cold to shake his faith about this trip. I assured him he did not have to do anything he did not want to, including not going at all, if he did not feel good about it. I also assured him that I had made back up arrangements with our good friends Cristobal Chamale and his wonderful family to pick up the arriving Bill and Mary if Clifford was late. Cliff had made arrangements with a friend to borrow his car to drive down since his Suburban was broken. Plans seemed to be all worked out just fine.
At the last minute the friend was not able to loan the car to Clifford and son, Michael, so they took the Monja Blanca bus. The bus robberies by the gangs had subsided a bit so this form of ride was not bad at the time. I told Bill that with Cliff on the bus back to Coban with them they would be ok. I had also spoken to Cristobal about the personality types of Bill and Mary and was comforted to know that Bill and Mary would be well cared for if Cliff was late arriving at the airport for any reason. Cliff was late and accidentally had the wrong name on the sign too. Michael, the son was supposed to wear a Cleveland Browns hat and he forgot the hat too.
Cristobal and his dear wife, Ixi, were returning to Guatemala City from a rural town that morning of the arriving flight and had stopped to grab a bite to eat. While there Ixi noticed a woman eating that she thought she recognized from a church in the City. She asked Cris to go over and say hi and when Cris did he learned it was not who they thought she was, but she was a pastor's wife and shared after learning they were on the way to the airport, how her and her husband had been really blessed with a new car and she was praying who to give the older car to. God moved on this situation and not a moment too late.
God loves to meet us when we step out of the familiar in to the faith realm. Hebrews 11:6 comforts us that "without faith, it is impossible to please God."
Cristobal and Ixi were able to meet Bill and Mary and Clifford and Michael at the airport with the faith car, a small Subaru to be exact and ride home that day to Coban for an awesome 10 days of ministry in Guatemala, with Michael and Clifford, in a car that had just been miraculously given to Clifford for his work in the Vineyard of the Lord. Bill called me later that day weeping (just a bit) telling me of God's amazing love for us. We laughed and thanked God for such a love as this. We are so blessed to have friends who help and watch out for each other, especially the best friend of all, the God of all Creation, who calls us 'friend.' | |
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