The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 1 Kings 19:11-13 (NIV)
Once we quit searching the Internet and dealerships for a car, it was hard to wait. It seemed natural to inspect every car lot and continue perusing Craig’s List. After all, something new might be posted that we would miss. As it turned out, we just needed to quit chasing our dream to find it right in front of us. Once we signed over the wrecked car to the insurance company including its four day old tires and almost new radio, we gave up on our goal to find a car that would fit the tires. Then, many more possibilities opened up to us. The day that they were to tow my poor smashed vehicle to whatever salvage yard would be its final resting place, I went by husband’s work to clear its interior from the debris of life that accumulates like litter washed up onto a beach. I found a twenty dollar bill in the console, several packages of tic tacs, an eyeglass repair kit, fast food salt packages, hand lotion, hair clips and a handful of old shopping receipts. When my car was cleaner than it has been most of its life with me, I said a sad goodbye, then, walked the used car lot with husband just to make sure that they didn’t have anything that would suit us. I spied a GMC Acadia in surprisingly good shape marked for the wholesale auction. When I asked husband about it, he said that he didn’t think it would suit our needs before, but now that the tires were no longer an issue, he would check with the Used Car Sales Manager. That night, he brought it home for a test drive. It has cloth seats, has a third row seat, is equipped with a state of the art radio and DVD system and is a strange color of chocolate brown. All of which were not on our original list of requirements. Its wheels are larger than my old car so the tires would never have fit. But, the price was right and it is actually an upgrade over what I had before. Funny thing, while we were still looking, I kept saying, “I wish they still made station wagons. I really want a station wagon.” When we got the title for the Acadia, it is listed as a station wagon! God gives us more than we expect and exactly what we need. Our hunt for a car made me think of a book I read recently called Chasing God by Angie Smith. She says that we think we have to search for God and that it is up to us to find Him. We immerse ourselves in Bible Study and good works, beg for a word from Him. Where are you God? Yet, He is always with us. Even though we cannot feel Him, He is there, quietly waiting for us to acknowledge His presence. Stop chasing, take a breath and trust that He is right with you.
Hahaha… mysterious ways and all that! You just have to stop and let things take their course. Congratulations on the upgrade!