I wanted to share an experience that we had this past Wednesday. The day started out in good spirits as we were to go visit some friends of ours an hour and a half away. We got into our van and started out but realized about 3 minutes down the road that we forgot our directions. So back we went to the house. When we pulled in to the driveway, Matt got out and immediately he smelled rad fluid. He looked under our van and sure enough it was dripping out quite fast. We had smelled it the day before as well but there was no leak at that point. this time, however, it was a different story.
So with a disappointed announcement of "well, we're not going", we all got out of the van. We live a few minutes away from a garage that specializes in rads so Matt drove down there while I called our friends to tell them we weren't coming. This was disappointing but what made it even more so was the fact that we had just had to cancel with them a few days earlier because Matt mysteriously had a shift written in for him at work for the day that we had planned on going that we had no idea about.
I realized right then and there that for whatever reason, Satan didn't want us to go. 2 times we were being held back from going to the same place. So as soon as Matt left, we got down on our knees and prayed.
We have been praying a lot more as a family lately so it really seems to just be a natural thought to pray if there's something wrong. So that's what we did. And we didn't just pray "please God fix our van". I prayed specifically that when Matt got to the garage that the leak would stop and they would be confused as to what happened.
As an aside, Matt had taken his bicycle with him so that when he left the van at the garage, he'd just ride his bike back. But in faith I kept watching and waiting for the van to drive in the driveway and not his bike.
So the kids and I went outside and I pushed them on the swing for a little while. Then the phone rang and I rushed in to get it, hoping it was Matt telling me something. To my delight, it was! All he said was "Call Pam and tell her we're coming. I'll be home in a few minutes." I couldn't wait to hear what had happened.
So when Matt got back, the kids raced to see him. They were so excited and they told him that "Jesus fixed the van". Matt, who I don't think was entirely convinced yet and thought maybe it was just a series of strange happenings, agreed with them and said yes, it probably was.
Then I heard him saying to Ryan that when he got to the garage and when he and the mechanic went to look at it, the leak had stopped entirely and they were confused as to what happened. I was practically in tears. God not only answered our prayers, He did it exactly in the way that I asked Him to. When I told Matt what we had specifically prayed for, that was enough to convince him that the Lord was in this trip and that He wanted us to go.
We all got back in the van, drove an hour and a half to our friends' house and an hour and a half back and not once did we overheat or have to stop. We had an awesome time and it was such a blessing to be able to have made the trip.
I'm so thankful that God is always answering prayers - sometimes it's not in the way that we would like but it's always for our best interest. I pray that this will help strengthen someone's faith as it has ours.
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