Two weeks ago I was on holiday and went up North to visit my parents. At the end of my visit, we had our first annual family chili cook-off. After the cook-off, my sister, Rae, and family lovingly agreed to drive me back to their home which is halfway between my home in Cambridge and our parents in Sudbury. Our original plan was for my husband to meet me at my sister's house and take me home. But, as we all know, plans do not always go accordingly.
We had just left Sudbury, we were fifteen minutes onto the highway when we discovered we had a flat tire. As we pulled over the tire broke completely, it looked like someone had taken a knife to it and sliced it. So somehow we went from having a flat tire to have a slash in the tire. So we all climb out of the vehicle and start prepping to change the tire.
As we stand on the side of the highway, I'm watching Rae's boyfriend, Dave, change the tire (yes, both Rae and I can change a tire, but we let Dave do it instead). It starts to rain, and not just spitting, it's raining hard. So while I'm standing in the rain, getting soaked and feeling rather useless because it only takes one person to change a tire, I start praying. I asked God to take care of us and provide for us. What I was really praying for was the rain to stop. While I was praying God answered and said, "I am providing for you, just not in the way you want." and I responded with, "yeah, that's fair." I just wanted to rain to stop and for us to get back on the raid. God provided us with the knowledge and the resources to change the tire and it was done successfully and within a reasonable time frame.
It is funny though how when we pray for guidance and provision we already know what we want God to do, we have already figured out what we need or at least what we think we need. Thankfully God knows best though and already has it all figured out long before we know we need help. It is one of the many amazing things about God, He already knows what is going to happen, all we have to do is be obedient and follow Him. Yes, I know that is easier said than done.
The point being though is that God always provides. We do not have to worry about anything because God is with us. I recently learned that the words "do not worry" are written 365 in the Bible. Sound familiar? God is telling us not to worry every day all year long. Pretty cool if you ask me. And yes, we all worry, we would not be human if we did not worry, it is what we do with that worry that counts. God wants us to bring our worry, pain, suffering, and everything else to Him because He wants to comfort us. Because He is our Heavenly Father and He is a good father.
He also never changes. I was praying over something recently and doubting a little that God would come through and then I reminded myself of what God tells me in His word. He said He will never change. "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever." Hebrews 13:8 KJV. Meaning that if He provided for me yesterday or last week or even five years ago, He will still provide for me tomorrow and until the day He calls me home. I cannot speak for the rest of you, but that brings me comfort knowing that I can always depend on God.
So as we were finishing up the tire change the rain stopped. I know, funny right, who said God does not have a sense of humor. Then the next bit of reality set in, because we were now driving on a spare tire, they are not the same as regular tires. Meaning that you cannot drive the same speed on them nor drive for very long. So instead of this part of my journey home taking four hours tops, it took us seven and a half which of course resulted in my arrival back to Cambridge being a whole lot later than expected, but that is a story all on its own and for another day.
The lesson for today friends is that God always provides. It may not look the way we had hoped, but we can rest in God knowing that He is in control and is always with us.
Wherever this post finds you today, whether you are going through a rough season in a valley or on top of a mountain I hope that this post blesses you, as it blessed me to go through this situation and maybe even give you a laugh. I am enjoying using this platform to combine my writing and photography hobbies together. Thank you for reading and journeying with me.
God Bless
~Ruth
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