Blessings Disguised as Troubles

January 8, 2021

This morning I was reminded of a blessing from the Lord from over 10 years ago. (When the Lord blesses you, write it down! Keep those memorial stones as a remembrance, so He can bless you repeatedly with the same blessings.) I reread what I had written all those years ago and was reminded of His very tender mercies toward me.

I was a single mother of two young daughters at the time. We had been invited by friends to go camping at Beaver's Bend, OK. This was not anything my girls had ever done, so the experience alone was a blessing. I checked the girls out of school early on a Friday which they thought was wonderful and we caravanned with the other families to our destination. It was a beautiful fall day and perfect for camping. We got there after lunch and had a great afternoon and night. The girls played in the woods that night with flashlights with the other kids. We made s'mores around the campfire. The girls were not accustomed to running around swinging on vines in the woods by flashlight, and I definitely did not have many opportunities to relax around a campfire engaged in adult conversations. It was such a fun reprieve. We woke up Saturday morning ready for more "camp like" adventures only to discover that I had a completely flat tire. We found the nail in the tire. Car troubles are never convenient and most always frustrating. A flat tire on our camping trip was not at all convenient for me and seemed overly frustrating. Well, our friends' husbands got the spare on and I set off to "drive to town" to see what I needed to do. As I was driving down that mountain to go to Broken Bow, I just started crying. I felt overwhelmed as I was telling the Lord that I knew He always took care of us, I trusted Him, etc. but I was wondering why this had to happen in this way. I was thinking about the money which was in very short supply, but mostly, I was wishing I had a husband that was helping with this.

Now, I must tell you all this: I was planning to get new tires in a couple of weeks. My parents were coming from NC to TX to visit, and I was going to let my dad choose the tires as I really knew nothing about tires. So I was thinking, Lord, could this have waited a couple of weeks? My friend's husband said I could get my flat tire patched, so I was mulling that choice over in my mind; get a temporary fix and wait until my dad, who knew what he was doing, could help me make a good decision to get the best tires for my money or go ahead and get new tires. I was hearing God say to get the new tires. Well, in less than 2 hours, I drove back up that mountain on a new set of tires that cost about $60 less than what I had paid for the last set of tires I had purchased. The guys "back at camp" could not believe the tires I had gotten for the price I had paid. They assured me that I had gotten very good tires for the price that I had paid.

I want to first give God thanks again as I did all those years ago for letting this happen in a completely safe way. We weren't on the road when it happened or out at night somewhere. There were plenty of guys around to help me take the tire off and put the spare on. My girls were oblivious to it all having a ball fishing with REAL worms while I was taking care of this. The situation didn't put anyone out of their way. Everyone, except me, continued on with what was planned for the day. Every detail was taken care of in the way that only God can.

I hear the same thing today that God was saying then: ACCELERATION I had a plan for my tires in a couple of weeks. God said, No, we are going to take care of this sooner than you thought. You may have some plans for some things that you know need your attention. Do not be surprised when He forces you to deal with something sooner than you had planned. TIMING What seemed like an inconvenient time to me actually turned out to be a great time. Do not reject His timing. It was a "suddenly." NO PATCHES God isn't in the business of patching things up. The Message translation of Isaiah 43:19 vividly reminds us of this. This is what God says, the God who builds a road right through the ocean, who carves a path through pounding waves, The God who summons horses and chariots and armies— they lie down and then can’t get up; they’re snuffed out like so many candles: “Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands. Wild animals will say ‘Thank you!’ —the coyotes and the buzzards— Because I provided water in the desert, rivers through the sun-baked earth, Drinking water for the people I chose, the people I made especially for myself, a people custom-made to praise me.

That November Saturday morning, I didn't know where I was headed. I was in unfamiliar territory. I had a need, but I didn't even know where to go. But, guess what? God did. Can anyone relate to that feeling? Actually, I can even today. I believe that most of us have needs today in some unfamiliar terrain. Evidently, I needed some new equipment to get there. That is what He has been doing for us. He has been giving us opportunities to become equipped for what lies ahead. Make certain you are allowing Him to make all things new and not just trying to patch up your "old stuff." He Himself is our Provision and our Preparation. Be ready!! The latter will be greater than the former.