I was SHOCKED by God…. but I shouldn’t have been.

What I am about to tell you, will shock you. In an awesome way. But it shouldn’t shock us…. For the past couple of years, I have been driving an old, green 1995 Toyota Tercel with a broken speedometer and a broken odometer. It leaks some oil and doesn’t change gears until the first mile of the day has been driven. I was content with the car. Proudly displaying my Chick-fil-A license plate on the front bumper while using the car as my daily driver to and from work. However, I never carry my kids in that vehicle. There isn’t much room, and I don’t feel it’s a safe vehicle as it’s so small and doesn’t drive through rain that well without hydroplaning. But it was okay for me! I was thankful for transportation, and the gas mileage was tremendous (that gauge still worked).

Yesterday, I was sitting at my computer on Craigslist looking at cars and thinking that it would be nice to have a bit newer car that I could drive that could also accommodate my kids if I needed to take one child and my wife the other. I thought about finances and how money isn’t growing on trees these days… and I definitely didn’t want to touch the money I set aside for my CFA operator fee. Then I remembered something my mom always told me growing up. “Pray specifically that God would provide what you need…. pray that someone will GIVE you a car”… she would say. I kind of chuckled when I remembered that, and though I felt kind of silly, honestly, I prayed that someone would give me a car. I went to work not thinking about it at all, as it wasn’t really a pressing need, per se, just a desire of my heart.

I was about to climb into bed last night around 10:30pm when I received a private message on Facebook from a person that I had met only once in life. In a nutshell, the message said that they had recently upgraded vehicles, and God had told them to give their old vehicle to me…. WHAT!? I read on. It was a 2003 Toyota Highlander. Safe. Room for kids. Reliable. WHAT?! Toyota?? I LOVE Toyota. My mind was racing. It was hard to comprehend it all. You mean to say that I prayed a prayer that morning that someone would give me a car, and by that evening, out of the blue, someone not knowing that I prayed that prayer messages me and wants to give me their vehicle?!

Beyond the incredible answer to my car situation was the fact that at a time where work had been tough, and though I believe I am on the right path with CFA… God, through direct answer to prayer, confirmed in my heart that I am indeed walking the way in which He wants me to go. Shocking?? YES! But what a rebuke. Answer to prayer SHOULDN’T be shocking. God still answers prayer!! Oh me of little faith.