How an Act of Faith Led to a Mind-blowing Blessing (A Genuine Miracle Story)
The tale of a broken-down jeep, months of frustration, and ruined plans being redeemed.
As many of you know, Tommy and I are part of RVICS Villiage (Roving Volunteers in Christ's Service), and if there's one thing we've learned, it's that blessings abound here. We're all using our retirement years to serve, and God is faithful to His word in Luke chapter six.
Luke 6:38 (NLT): Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the same measure you use, it will be measured back to you.
This god-send story is about our best friends here in the Village. We love Bill and Sandy so much that we signed up for a project simply because we saw they were already signed up. Sandy and I walk together almost daily when were together on project or during their usually short stays in the Village.
The joy of her company was extended when our pal's Jeep broke down at the end of January, and all their plans went out the window.
They had a repair warranty and had their car towed to the Jeep dealer in Bastrop, twenty-five minutes from Smithville. The engine seized completely, so they knew the problem was major; however, their ordeal is mind-boggling.
The Jeep dealer kept telling them they couldn't begin work until the warranty company came out and inspected the vehicle to confirm that the work was necessary. The back and forth with the warranty company and the dealer continued for a month before anyone even examined the car.
Thankfully, many wonderful people in the Village are happy to share their vehicles, so our friends had a loaner car to drive. That said, the frustration was so overwhelming that I couldn't describe it in this post without adding at least 3,000 words. The situation turned their lives upside down, changing months of plans.
First, it robbed them of the opportunity to work on two scheduled projects. Bill and Sandy do not like leaving teammates in the lurch. They had a visit with a friend in Saint Louis that they had already rescheduled twice, but it had to be canceled. They also had planned to attend a wedding, which they had to cancel.
It was horrible for them to have their entire lives on hold while two companies refused to do the right thing.
I must confess that had we been treated the way they were, this redhead would have lost it multiple times, and my Christian witness would have been obliterated. I don't do well under circumstances like this one. I've come a long way with my temper, but this would have done me in.🤯
After three and a half months of misery and numerous phone calls to both companies, with conflicting stories about how the situation would be resolved, they were forced to pay the dealership $1,600.00 to retrieve the car, which they then sold for $600.00 for parts. I don't want to think about how I would have handled the situation. The treatment they have endured is too much for me to fathom.
We'd all been praying for them at the Village. One Sunday, when they attended the Cowboy Church in Smithville, they asked for prayer over the situation. You can never have too much prayer. Shortly after the Sunday service, they received word that someone from the church, who wished to remain anonymous, was donating a vehicle to them. They needed to provide their driver's license and insurance information, and everything would be taken care of.
As Sandy's good friend, I was privy to the situation, but my pals didn't want to say too much until the deal was done. They had no clue what kind of vehicle they were getting and pictured something like a 1973 Ford Pinto. It was free, after all.
A couple of weeks passed, and they hadn't heard anything more about the donation. They were considering purchasing a truck from some Village members, and a friend was monitoring the Facebook Marketplace. Sandy told me that Bill really wanted a truck.
Bill took a summer job at Buccee's because they would be stuck in Smithville for the summer. With a vehicle purchase looming over their heads, a job became necessary. It makes me sick to think about Bill, who worked his tail off for years, having to return to work at 72. It would do my husband in.
At our Tuesday morning InTouch meeting at the Village, Sandy was informed that they would be getting a truck, not a puny old car, but a 2013 Ford F250 with a 6.7 Power Stroke diesel engine. I was so happy for my friends that I couldn't help but cry. Since Bill was at work and they don't allow their employees to have phones with them, Sandy decided to wait until he got home to surprise him with the truck.
A group of us sat on Bill and Sandy's deck, waiting for him to get home. I couldn't wait to film his reaction. I was pacing, so I don't know how Sandy managed to keep from coming out of her skin. Al, the go-between for the pastor and Bill, was as anxious as I was. He planned to get out of the truck when Bill showed up, so Bill would think it was his truck in his driveway.
Bill pulled up and parked on the side of the truck in his driveway, jokingly grumbling, "Whose truck is parked in my driveway?" I was standing there filming the auspicious occasion with my phone, and I told him it was his. It didn't sink in. Then Al asked him if he'd heard from the pastor, who put the whole plan into action. Bill said that the pastor told him to call him when he got home. Al put the key in his hand, which he had attached to a keychain he had made with Bill’s initials on it.
Here’s my video of Bill’s arrival and astonishment at the Truck blessing.
Bill was in complete disbelief. As Al gave him a tour of the truck with its clean interior, four seats, and factory-installed fifth-wheel hitch, all he could say was wow. I lost count of how many times he said it. The impact of this blessing was profound, and I'm sure he's still trying to wrap his mind around the incredible gift. He'll be saying wow for a very long time.
God is so good. The horrid memories of the situation with his Jeep will fade into the background. Bill and Sandy will reflect on the favor God showed them for handling the problem in a Godly fashion, which will be at the forefront of their minds.
We've witnessed numerous miracles here at the RVICS Village. Members have beaten cancer and other physical conditions. Situations completely out of their control have had good endings. Our winding up in this amazing permanent home in Texas exemplifies divine intervention.
This story should give you hope if you've been praying for a challenging situation. God loves surprising us when we entrust our lives to Him.