Trusting in God and Relying on God

For my first post, I am re-posting something I wrote on my Facebook page:

I recently learned there is a big difference between the two, and I have to say that relying on God and receiving His blessings, personally, turned an event from one that could have been perceived as one piece of bad luck after another into an event of “I can’t wait to see what God is about to do next.”
What began as a trip to Orlando, for me, was going to Orlando with Merly to help her achieve something she had been looking forward to for almost a year – a class reunion with her MK friends. (Missionary Kids who grew up at a boarding school at Penang, Malaysia). This was a trip for Merly; it was not a trip for me. Do not get me wrong. I was looking forward to a trip to Orlando, but the reason for going in the first place was for Merly.

The van was loaded down, literally, as we headed out from Terre Haute, Indiana on June 28th around 7:00PM. There were three of us and the plan was to drive from Terre Haute to Tuscaloosa, AL during that night. I sat in the back seat of the van planning to sleep and just rest while being driven down to Tuscaloosa. I had planned to document the trip as the “fun” trip it was meant to be. Little did I know that God had other plans for me; you see, the trip was really a trip where God was going to (and did) do some life changing things for me. It was not long after the trip began, that I began to see that God had a purpose in mind that couldn’t be further from what I thought the trip was about.

As I recall we were still in the state of Indiana when all of the van’s “warning” lights came on, the van’s instrument panel indicated we were traveling on empty and moving at 0 miles per hour. While we were concerned, we also knew that recent van repairs could cause the dashboard instruments to malfunction; we also were told it would self correct. We traveled on thinking we would just have to be aware of our speed and stop more frequently for gas. At some point, we hit a bump in the road and that was when the instrument panel self corrected. Coincidence is something with which I would have agreed were it not for the events that are yet to be told. At the time, I thought the random bump in the road was a good thing. While it was a good thing, I also know that it was one of many things God would do for us on this trip. We all breathed a sigh of relief to know the van’s instrument panel had been restored to normal.

The trip through Kentucky, Tennessee, and the first part of Alabama was event free. As stated earlier, the van was loaded down which meant that the only way I could exit the van was to let the wheelchair ramp down since the other side door had some equipment tied to it. Merly could only exit the van after we removed all of the contents on the floor from within the van. Our friend could easily get out of the driver’s door. Once we passed through Huntsville, AL and were near Hartselle, AL it was around 2:00AM when the van lost speed and began to act as if it were running out of gas. We pulled off of the highway at exit 318 completely puzzled. The van would not crank, and we quickly were overwhelmed with the smell of gasoline. After letting the van’s ramp down and getting outside, I saw the ground was soaked in gasoline and saw it was leaking from underneath the van. God had His angels working over time. Had the ramp generated a spark when it hit the pavement we would not be alive today.

What do three women do at 2:00 AM in an unfamiliar area with a van that was leaking gas? Knowing that the van would need to be towed was the least of our concerns. Towing a vehicle is no big deal. Getting someone who is confined to a wheelchair transported was the main concern. Not knowing what to do, I called 911 where the dispatcher responded with “911 what’s your emergency”? Now I was not thinking of this as an emergency, but I explained the situation and asked for a policeman so that he could provide answers to the many questions I had. The policeman called someone to tow the vehicle and take it to a place where the van would be repaired. As to how we could transport Merly was a question not yet answered. God had an answer to that. Through a small miracle, Merly was allowed to stay inside the van while it was towed. To date, I have never run across a break down whereby the towing company allowed Merly to remain inside; but this night, God provided.

We stayed the night in what I think was the town’s only hotel which was located a few blocks down from the car repair shop. Ordinarily, I would have been biting nails about that time with anger towards the place in Terre Haute who deemed the van road ready. That night, I began to be thankful for all God had done, and my heart was beginning to change. Little did I know it was just the beginning. The following morning the van was repaired and we were back on the road. I was driving as we headed off to Tuscaloosa, AL where we had planned to stay a day. As I drove the van, I noticed it did not seem to have the power it normally had, but I thought at first it was related to the extra weight. As we got into the Birmingham area, I realized the extra weight was not the problem. I knew the van had been loaded down before and did not have any trouble maintaining its speed while driving on the interstate. We made it to Tuscaloosa and checked into the hotel where we unloaded a lot of the extra weight. Merly and Lissa stayed at the hotel while I drove the van to my parent’s house. Without the extra weight, the van was still sluggish. It drove ok, but it did not have the power it normally had.

We were not even halfway to Orlando and the discussion soon changed to how or whether we should continue on to Orlando or turn back to Terre Haute. There was discussion as to whether there was a place in Tuscaloosa who could even have time to look at the van due to the 4th of July weekend not to mention the recovery efforts still under way from the April 27th tornado damage which destroyed many parts of Tuscaloosa City. We considered renting a handicapped van; however, we could not locate one. We considered arranging a powered wheelchair rental in Orlando if we simply rented a standard vehicle in Tuscaloosa and manually lifted Merly into it, but powered wheelchairs are customized for the individual and one was not to be found.

Would we get to Orlando where Merly could finally enjoy the trip she had been so excited about? That was a question I really began to ponder but was too tired to consider. That night I went to bed simply “unburdened”. My prayer was for God to see us through. The following morning, mom told me she had found a place that could look at the van. It was a muffler shop on the other side of town, and we took it there. The final analysis was that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced, the exhaust system needed to be replaced as there were obvious holes in the metal line running the length of the van. I was happy to know the van could be fixed that day and that we could continue on to Florida that afternoon. I reflected back on how God had been with us the entire trip and how He had kept us safe.

That afternoon we had just barely gotten on the road when we felt the metal pipe underneath the van bumping against the floor of the van. The repair shop was about 30 minutes behind us and while it would slow us down, I pulled over and called the repair shop. They wanted us to return so they could take a look. God had been doing some major work in me because I did not get angry or upset; I simply turned around and went back to the repair shop. Merly was beginning to question whether we would make it to Orlando and was wondering if the trip was meant to be. Yes, returning to the repair shop would allow us to lose valuable time, but it also meant we could travel with peace of mind. The repair shop did more work and stabilized the metal line so it would not bump against the floor board. They also pointed out something of major concern to them; something that was dangerous and could cause a fire was a rubber hose through which fuel traveled and which was wearing thin because of constant rubbing against metal over time. They anchored it so it would not get damaged. Once again God was showing me how He was watching over us, and how He had things under control.

Once again we were on the road to Orlando. Because of the lost time, we planned to drive straight through to Orlando. God had other plans. This time His plans would reveal the true angels who He would use to help me learn the difference between trusting in Him and totally relying on Him for our every need. We were one county outside of Tuscaloosa country when the van broke down again. We were not on the interstate but on a highway that would take us from Tuscaloosa and into Florida before we would pick up the interstate again. This particular van breakdown could not have happened in a more perfect place. Oh how my perspective had changed. Merly was in tears with the disappointment and realization that she might not see her friends, many of whom she had not seen in 40 years.

We pulled off the road and turned on the van’s emergency flashers. Within 10 minutes someone pulled up to help us. He did not know much about vehicles, but he and his wife lived in a house on the highway exactly where we broke down. We managed to get the van into their driveway where his wife brought cold washcloths to Merly to help her deal with the heat. As a result of Merly’s spinal cord injury, her body no longer has the ability to regulate its temperature. Extreme heat and cold can become life threatening very quickly. God had placed us in the hands of His angels. They called a mechanic who led us to a hotel where we would spend the night and who would work on the van the following morning. We checked in and settled in for the evening. While it was dinner time, we were not thinking about eating; but our angel was looking over us and brought dinner to the three of us. I am not use to being on the receiving end of good and caring people, but God certainly allowed me to truly feel what it was like for Him to take care of me. Yes, He is always taking care of His children, but I normally do not recognize it for being so consumed in all that goes wrong. This time, He revealed to me all that was going right; all that He was doing. I was experiencing tears of happiness and true humility so much so that I was beginning to see this trip was an adventure for me to see God in action and to recognize it as such. There was no way I was about to give up and return to Terre Haute. I was too excited to see what God was going to do next.

The following morning I found out. His angel left breakfast for us, but this time I took the time to get our new friend’s name and address. The van was repaired and we were on the road again around 3:00 PM that afternoon. This time Lissa took the wheel and I sat in the back. Thanks be to God because we finally made it to our destination even though it was around 2:00 AM. Merly went inside to check in. I was relieved and could have just slept in the van; we were all exhausted. God had another test for us; we just didn’t know it. Our reservations had been made 6-7 months ago and were for a handicapped room with two double beds and a roll in shower. Merly went into the room and immediately came out of the room stating it had no roll in shower nor could she even get to the shower. The room was not a handicapped room. She left stating she would be staying the night (or what was left of it) in the lobby. The van was not in a parking spot at this point so I left Lissa with the van and went with the bell hop to look at 3-4 other rooms. None of the available rooms would work for Merly’s needs. The only option was to park the van in the over flow parking and stay in the lobby the balance of the night. We had been up 24 hours when Merly’s parents came down to learn we spent the night in the lobby. After their discussion with the manager, we were given one extra room, free, for the duration of the stay. Merly’s room became available at 3PM that afternoon and had a roll in shower. One night’s stay was given to us at no charge. After eating breakfast at 9 AM (the reunion breakfast), I crashed in Merly’s sister’s room while Lissa crashed in Merly’s parent’s room.

That evening I was awakened where I learned our rooms were ready and the van had been unloaded with everything placed in the rooms. Finally, we were there, and we were in accommodating rooms.
My heart had been transformed. I knew because I had experienced God’s love, care, and had seen Him use His angels throughout the entire journey. That is when I learned the trip was not about Merly meeting her friends for the weekend. It was about God showing me that He is in control and that He will never leave or abandon us.

To end, we traded Merly’s ’98 van for a 2006 van that was already customized for wheelchair accessibility. Merly’s parent’s made that possible, and I cannot convey my thanks and appreciation. Words are not sufficient. Merly did get to see her friends and reconnect with many she had not seen in years.

The trip back to Terre Haute was uneventful. God is good!