Another 'Eggplant' Adventure

After writing the entry the other day about car troubles, I started thinking about something that happened with 'the Eggplant' van.  It is an event that remains in our memories, and still we consider it a rather amazing one.

We'd been away on a trip to I-forget-where. On the way home to Long Island, we decided to first take a detour from our normal route, so that we could ride past my daughters former home in upstate New York. There had been a flood in the area not long before, and I wanted to let her know how their first house had fared, even though there was a new owner there now.  Just as we neared New Paltz, the 'Eggplant' did it's thing, and lost power, causing us to pull over to the side of the road. (I think this might have been the very first episode of many, but honestly, I don't recall.)  Mike got out of the van, went to the front hood, and opened it.  He leaned in, looking around.

Knowing my husband is not an ace mechanic  and that he was probably bewildered by this turn of events,  I began to pray.  "Lord, Mike doesn't know anything about cars, and we don't have a cell phone to call anyone for help...even if we knew who to call in this area. Please step in and show us what to do."  I hadn't finished asking when there was a truck behind us....a tow truck!  In that area, they have a crew of hired tow truck/mechanics who ride the highway keeping watch for drivers who are having car trouble.  He told us that he had a shop, but it was closed, being Sunday afternoon, but he could tow it over there and he would take a look at it in the morning. He asked where we'd like him to take us....and hearing that we were not familiar with the area, he offered to take us to a motel. We didn't have a lot of choice, so we agreed.

When we got to the motel, (a good one of a chain brand), he went inside with us and told the woman at the desk of our problem, and he talked her into giving us the 'truckers discount.'  We thanked him, took his card, and settled ourselves and our luggage into the room. Mike went to get dinner in the restaurant which was a part of the property, and I made a few phone calls to inform family of our plight.  I also called the church I had been to recently....one that I was considering making my church home.  I asked the pastor there to ask the congregation to pray for us, that we might get the car fixed affordably and get home without any trouble. After a short chat, and the assurance that the people would pray that night in the service,we hung up.

The next morning, the tow truck driver came back and picked Mike up, to go to the shop with him. I spent a lot of time praying about the finances, since we were carrying very little money, being the end of our vacation.  Hours later, Mike walked in, all excited and close to tears. He said, "You'd better call that pastor again...."  I asked him what was up. He answered, "You'd better call him and tell him to thank everybody for their prayers!  The mechanics couldn't find anything wrong, nothing showed up on their diagnostic computer, they took it out for a long ride, they drove it up to 70mph, and nothing sputtered or anything. The best part is, he wouldn't charge us a dime!"  

There are some who don't believe that God knows everything that happens, or that He rescues those who are in trouble. Some people think we make our own luck.  I don't believe in coincidences...I don't believe that the tow truck driver just 'happened' to be there at the right time. I believe that God sent him...just at the right time. I believe that God heard my pleas for help, and that He answered. I believe that God sees, and knows, and rescues, and protects.  In that occurance, He did all of that and got us home safely, as well, without further incident.  I believe...and I'm grateful.