“Providence is the care God takes of all existing things.” –John of Damascus
Wheezie, the old white gentleman with the sputter and cough came into our lives unexpectedly but right when he was needed. He wasn’t much to look at and his idiosyncrasies took getting accustomed to, but he was reliable and available.
Recently, Wheezie seemed to be slipping, not quite his “raring to go” self. And then, at his annual smog check, he failed to pass with a clean bill of health. He gained the title “Gross Polluter” and we were uncertain as to what we should do for him. Only a few days later, he lost his transmission and we knew that a difficult decision must be made.
We decided that we must turn Wheezie over to the state in return for a $1000. This was going to effect our family greatly, as we would be down to one vehicle, but we could not afford the expense that old Wheezie was going to entail. As we pursued the avenue of turning our old gentleman over to the state under the label of “Gross Polluter”, we sadly discovered that he didn’t qualify. Disappointed, we were now stuck with a car that couldn’t run and would take roughly $1000 to fix.
Wheezie came to us through God’s gracious hand of provision. Our family had suffered unemployment and a severe injury and God had provided this car for free. Just at the right moment, Wheezie came into our lives. And on his last wheels, we were hanging onto the memory of God’s provision and praying that somehow He would provide our family with another form of transportation.
God must love Wheezie too, as Sunday at church, our pastor pulled my husband aside and said that someone had come by the church earlier in the week, and gave the church $1000. My pastor asked the individual if it could be used for a needy family and the generous stranger answered yes. (Interestingly, we hadn’t shared this Wheezie situation with our Pastor.)
Wheezie will be getting a new lease on life through the gracious gift of a stranger. Yet the story doesn’t end with just our family being blessed in this unique way, the gentleman who will be working on Wheezie has been out of work for some time, picking up side work where ever he can, so Wheezie’s demise has turned into a blessing for several families and an inspiration for the entire church.
God still provides manna. He is still the generous Father who cares for the needs of His children and He deserves honor and glory in this modern day provision story.
Philippians 4:19 (King James Version)
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.