A Special Story

One day this week, I watched a television program which insisted that evolution is a scientific fact and Christians who object to the idea are ignorant bigots. The narrator of the program announced that, among all the animals on the planet, “Human beings are nothing special.” Hmmmm.

I had an experience this week which convinced me human beings are not only special, but also the angels of God are watching over us with special care. Here is my story.

Two weeks ago, my wife and I left Tucson, Arizona for travel among the pastors and churches of the Grace Brethren Fellowship. We drove for two days across New Mexico and Texas, a very hot trip indeed. We visited the Grace Brethren Church in Longview, Texas on June 1st and did our best to encourage the leaders there. We were able to spend time with John Mayes and Vernon and Glyn Harris, two retired pastors and pastor’s wife.

Our next stop was Atlanta, Georgia, where we enjoyed fellowship with Jim and Wanda Laird and Bill and Betty Byers. We heard exciting stories of what the Lord may have in store for them and the church. After watching the children gather for their Vacation Bible School, we drove a few miles north to an RV park for the night. Our goal was to drive to Aiken, South Carolina the next day.

Bright and early on Thursday morning, we got the rig ready and entered the truck. I turned the key. Nothing happened. I called Good Sam emergency road service. To make a long story short, the truck was picked up and transported to a Ford garage in Cartersville, Georgia. The next day, the garage called to say that two new batteries were installed, but they found another problem. The trailer brake control was totally dead. We had to wait until Monday before they could do any more for us.

We were devastated. Not only was a big bill on the way, but also our plan to visit pastors and pastors’ wives was in jeopardy. I began wondering how we could arrive in Pennsylvania by Father’s Day to attend the wedding of our son. It took an entire weekend of prayer and thinking before I understood how special we are.

We could have been stranded along a remote section of Georgia highway. Instead, our trailer sat in a beautiful park beside Alatoona Lake. Loreen’s sister Elva and her husband Jack live in Cartersville. They picked us up and drove us around. The brake controller could have failed while driving down a long hill, or in traffic through Atlanta. Instead, it failed while the truck sat still, unable to move. Imagine that.

We lost five days. We could have lost our lives. The Lord had a better plan. He stranded us in a beautiful park within a few miles of Elva and Jack. A new part from Detroit could have taken two days. Instead, a part was found, delivered, and installed within five hours. We got acquainted with the owner of the Ford dealership and spoke with him about the Lord. Imagine that.

Luck, you say? Hmmmm.

We are on our way again. We stopped through Aiken yesterday, had lunch with Steve and Pat Taylor, and continued driving north. Tonight, we are parked just inside Virginia. Losing five days means that our plan to visit pastors and churches on our way north is seriously altered. However, I am confident that the angels of God are watching over me.

That’s special.