Who wants a New Car?

Have you ever prayed for something or even commented about praying for something and yet really was not too hopeful about it happening? My car situation has not been that great since going into ministry. Now don't get me wrong – we always have a means of getting around and we always get things fixed in ways that constantly amaze me. Recently, when my teens asked me "Dad, when are we getting a different car?" while we were driving in a vehicle that was overheating and had no air conditioning, I did not really know what to say so I just said, "Kids, we don't have anything saved up for a different car and I really do not have hope to get one anytime soon so why don't you just start praying and let's see what God can do?"

Honestly, that was just to get them to not ask anymore. Really, these kinds of things do not happen to me. So what happened? About three weeks later, a couple from church said they wanted to get together with us for dinner. They were real insistent about it and we were slammed with volleyball games and football games and Wednesday night church and whatever else you do with teens. So, they kept trying to "help us" find a date that week – I finally said, "OK, come to Jenna's volleyball game and then afterward we can go eat for a late quick dinner." Again, me being a bit of a jerk and not listening more to the Spirit in my heart. We left the game and went toward the parking lot and the guy steers us toward this blue Ford Taurus station wagon and hands me the keys. I asked politely about his new vehicle and thought "why did he get another car?" I asked a few questions and kept getting evasive answers so I finally quit. I figured he was letting me drive his new car so I could tell him what a great car he had picked up. Again, me = jerk.

We get to the restaurant, park and start to get out of the car. I hand him back the keys and compliment the great buy he got. He says "wait, there's one more thing before we go in to eat. Here are the keys to your car." He hands me back the keys and then hands me two more sets of spares. Pause – review my amazing ability to be a major jerk – get choked up and realize what God just showed me. Thank this couple profusely as my wife and I tear up at this amazing event of how God used two people who really could not afford it to meet a need that we could not afford to meet.

And all because I challenged two of my teens to pray about how God would meet the need of transportation for me, even though the challenge was from a wrong motive. How good is my God?