This weekend, God used something unexpected to build my faith. Saturday night, while we were in Atlanta preparing for a meeting in Newborn, GA, I left Michelle and Lila back where we were staying so I could go get some dinner to bring back to them. After I made a quick trip to the dollar store, something took me by surprise... My car wouldn't start. It seemed that the battery was strong, and it seemed like the engine was trying to start, but no success in the car starting. This was a surprise, because the last time I started the car, there was no problem. So now, I am stuck somewhere unfamiliar in Atlanta where I know nobody, while my wife and daughter are stuck at the hotel.
As I tried to figure out what to do, I prayed and asked the Lord to guide me and get me home safely and hopefully allow me to get my car running so I won't have to cancel 2 church meetings the next day. As with any car problem, when you don't know what the problem is, you should try the easiest and most common solutions first. After asking several people for help jump-starting the car, I found a man who would try to help. However, we had no success. After he left, I decided I would try once more before trying to find a mobile mechanic. As I turned the key, VROOOM! The car started right up with no hesitation. In complete amazement, I praised the Lord, and then got to thinking, "How do I know it will start again?" I then decided to drive back our room for the night, so in case it wouldn't start again, I would be where I needed to be. As I drove back, the check engine light was on, and the transmission very, very hard. This concerned me, as transmission repair can be anywhere from $1,000-2,000 easily. Once I got back to Michelle and Lila, I assured her everything would be okay. After talking to her, I decided to give the car another shot. This time, the car started fine, and the transmission was smoother. After a lap or two around the parking lot, I gave it another shot. The third time, the car started fine and transmission now shifted perfectly. Praise the Lord, things were now on the right track!
I then went to an auto part store for a free computer scan, and discovered the problem. Sensors! It turns out some sensors were "misbehaving" and causing my car quite a problem. The car would not start because a sensor couldn't detect that the car was in park. The transmission wasn't shifting right because another sensor couldn't detect the speed properly. After leaving the part store, the check engine light went off, and the car behaved perfectly again. The next day (Sunday), we were able to make it to both of our church meetings without a problem, and Monday we were able to make a safe, problem-free trek home. Praise the Lord! Things looked horrible on Saturday night, and things could have been really bad. Whether the Lord fixed our car, or just allowed us to make it to where we needed to be, it shows that the Lord is good! After doing some research, I have found that other people have had this problem, to have it disappear for years before ever giving them a problem again.
My point in writing this is to encourage whoever is reading this. There will be times when you don't know what's going on, and it seems that everything is going wrong. Despite your circumstances, know that you have a good God! Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that ALL things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His Purpose." Whatever it is that happens, know God is good and that He is allowing these things to happen for a reason. In this case, I believe God is teaching me to trust in Him more and more.
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