The day started out seemingly perfect.  I finally got the chance to be lazy for half a day and then got to take two of my favorite kids to see the new Winnie-the-Pooh movie with Natalie, Brittany and Rebekah.  It’s always good to take a kid with you when you’re going to see a kid movie.  Otherwise, people look at you like you’re a nut or you’re plotting to kidnap their kid.  (Thanks, Lori for loaning us your kids.)  So we enjoyed a day in the 100 Acre Wood and headed to Chic-fil-A, where apparently every mission team passing through North Carolina had decided to have lunch.  We decided not to stay, which is usually when the cute kid stops being cute because you’re taking their Playplace away.  Well, this is another reason why I like these two kids—they showed how flexible they were and agreed we could just go over to Zaxby’s.  Good morning, good first half the afternoon.

After lunch, we turned our kids back over to their mom (best part of taking someone else’s kid) and all go our separate ways.  The sisters and I headed home to pack and go to Raleigh for the night.  We agreed to take Brittany’s car so we loaded up and she began to drive us West.  Again, everything’s going great.  The radio’s playing good songs, we’re having the best conversations and I even got the chance to roll down the window and feel some rain.

All of a sudden, I hear Brittany wondering out loud why her windshield wipers aren’t moving as fast as she’d set them for.  I lean forward to notice that her battery light is on and she’s asking Natalie what the rapid moving needle on her RPM indicator was about.  I then hear Natalie telling Daddy on the phone that we’re getting off in Zebulon to find somewhere to look at the battery with us.  This is where the already good day on a slow-decline… plummeted. 

We pulled up the red light at the top of the ramp and discovered that the car has officially died.  Natalie and I open our doors knowing that the only option is to get out and push this Ford Taurus, loaded with luggage, etc across the intersection in 100 degree weather.  I’m not gonna lie, we did a rather impressive job!  And then…. we reached the hill!

We had pushed and pushed and then, all of a sudden, it was as if we weren’t able to push anymore.  One car pulled from behind us and turned left.  Another vehicle pulled straight through.  It wasn’t really even their turn but I guess they figured since we had traffic stopped for them…

Natalie looked at me and said, “Stephanie, push.”  “I am!”  I had been praying the whole time that God would give us the strength to just get through to the other side of the intersection, since it seemed no one used that road anyway.  My prayer changed in that moment.  Lord, can You just move this car please?  Before I could finish the sentence, Natalie and I heard “okay ladies, push on three”.  All of a sudden, there were two other men coming up to help push that car up and over the hill.  Next thing I knew, my spot was being taken by a man saying, “we just saw you.  I didn’t know what was going on.  I just saw you,“ as if he was apologizing for being late.  All we were able to do for these men in return was say, “thank you so much” and “bless you” over and over. 

We sat down in the car, leaving the doors open, to let the adrenaline settle and I just kept praying, “Lord, when You show up—You really show up.  Thank You for coming as men willing to help.”  We sat there longing for some water and realizing just how hot it was again as the sun moved just above us.  Just as I said, “it’s just hot”, a gentle breeze began to blow through the car and a raindrop fell on my face from the tree above.  I thought of the lyrics from Laura Story’s song, “what is your blessings come through raindrops”. 

As the car began to get quiet again, my phone started beeping and I opened a text message from Lori that read “I like the lesson this week.  I’ve studied it for several days instead of waiting to the last minute and it’s been a real blessing.”  I picked up the phone and called her.  I just had to know what our Sunday School lesson for tomorrow was going to be about; I hadn’t read it yet.  I told her where we were and what just happened and she said, “Tomorrow’s lesson is on being thankful and God’s blessings”.  I figured that made sense, since it was the theme of the day.    

For about…. well I’m really not sure how long, to be honest (I’ve lost count of the weeks)… God has been showing me repeatedly how He is absolutely preparing me for something in the future that I could never dream would be coming.  He has confirmed in so many ways that He was not kidding when He said, “I know the plans I have for you” (Jeremiah 29:11).  Well, today, He reminded me that He is also still in charge of every detail of my day-to-day life and He truly is Jehovah Jireh “The Lord will provide”….