Flat tires are no fun
Flat tires are no fun whether driving or parked. The initial discovery of a flat tire brings many emotions. There’s the, “ahhh, I can’t believe I have a flat.” Or the, “Oh my goodness, we have a flat tire! Hold on!” And then, of course, there’s the, “Oh look, I have a flat tire. Great – I have no spare!”
Three flats
In 1999, I moved to Orlando, Florida. Ah, the home of Mickey Mouse and friends. Everyone wants to visit the great Magic Kingdom and spend all their money and then some on treats and trinkets – all things Disney and anything else you can imagine.
But that wasn’t my goal when I moved to Orlando. It was all about work for me and providing for my family.
I rented a one bedroom apartment for my family near the only person I knew in this new town. If you read the bio on my website, you would have learned that this same person invited me to go to her church, and it’s where I fell in love with preaching. We attended this same church for over a year.
Help Wanted
One Sunday, this same church put out a request to the congregation for van drivers. They needed people to go on rotation for their van ministry. All you had to do was drive the church van to the local retirement home, pick up the senior adults waiting in the lobby and bring them to church. Sounds easy enough. The commitment and time are doable. Besides the ease, I like senior adults. I can drive a van, and it worked in my schedule.
I had never volunteered at a church before, and this was another opportunity for me to meet more people in this new town, even if they reminded me of my dear grandmother who had already gone home to be with the Lord. And so with great excitement, I committed to driving the church van once a month. And with great enthusiasm, the enemy, Satan, committed to making my life difficult.
My first day finally arrives
My first Sunday finally came around, and I decided to make our way to church early. I wanted to get there in plenty of time to switch out vehicles and head over to the condo to grab the adults. I wasn’t very familiar with the streets of this new town, so I took the same back roads my friend had taken me several times before.
Thank God I did
On our way to church, I suffered a flat tire on one of the side roads. I had never changed a flat on this vehicle, which by the way happened to be a minivan. Come to think of it; I hadn’t changed a flat tire in years. To top it off, I was in my best church clothes, and for those who know me now, they weren’t jeans. I was all dressed up. Could this be why I don’t get dressed up for church anymore? Hint, hint.
I made my way to the back of the vehicle and began the process of trying to get to the spare tire. Beads of morning dew known as sweat started to form on my forehead.
Behold Prince Charming
Out of nowhere, a tall silhouette of a man appears from nowhere and offers his help. I was so busy digging in the back of my van for the jack and wheely thing, I didn’t notice him approaching. Of course, this scared me because here I was with a two-year-old in the van, didn’t know anyone else, and I was on a side road all by myself in a new town.
It turns out, he lived in the house across the street from where we suffered the flat tire and noticed my predicament. He offered his help, and I fearfully accepted, got back in my van and waited. Yes, I left him standing out there to play Prince Charming as I sat inside a hot van with the doors locked.
Presto change-o
Within fifteen minutes, he changed my tire and had me back on the road. He ended up being a very nice guy, sent by God, I believe, to assist. With his help, I was able to still make it to the church on time, trade out vehicles and grab the senior adults for church. Had he not shown up, I would have never made it on time, and my first Sunday as a new van driver for the church would have ended in disaster and embarrassment.
Is there a lesson here?
I’ve learned over the years that whenever we attempt to work for God, the enemy does whatever he can to disrupt our service. He makes every effort to throw us off course, drive wedges in relationships, and create havoc in our lives.
The Bible says Satan goes around this earth like a roaring lion. Take a look at what it says in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour.”
Should we be surprised given the warning we were given 2000 plus years ago? The answer is no.
Let’s pray
Father God, today I come to you asking for your continued protection in my life and the lives of those reading this right now. Father, you are the great protector, and in you, we can stand firm and stand strong. Give me and those reading this devotional wisdom to recognize your provisions. Thanks, Lord and it’s in your Son’s name I pray these things, Amen.
In His Service,
Jeanette Duby, The Teaching Lady
Jeanette Duby, The Teaching Lady
#flattires #minivans #provisions #protection
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