WOW!!!
WHAT
A MIRACLE!!!
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. Psalm 28:7
Charles and I are an odd lot to be sure…he is the emotional one and will weep at seeing the hand of God work. I on the other hand, take most everything in stride, with the attitude, “yes, God protected us, why wouldn’t He…He’s my Father and He promised to take care of me…afterall it IS His job. Yet with my “blaise” attitude, I never disregard God’s miraculous workings in our lives. I used to question why I had the seemingly nonchalant attitude about God’s wondrous care of “me”, until Charles told me that because of the kind of love and relationship I have with the Father, I am the little girl who EXPECTS Him to do what He does.
Charles is one who, when our area is threatened by severe weather, will watch the weather channel and see how the storms are tracking. Everytime as he sees the reds and yellows come toward us, and just as they get into our area, watches as they seperate and go around us, above and below, then reform as a single unit once they get past us. He will giggle and weep and say, WATCH THIS….GOD’S HAND IS THERE SAYING, NO, YOU CAN’T GO THAT WAY. Then he will giggle and weep some more at the miracle. Just like a child would do at something they can’t explain but marvel at. Then I say, “why wouldn’t He, it’s His job?” I believe that Charles’ way of seeing things is due in part to his upbringing. He was taught to FEAR God, “He will squash you if you mess up”. He has since learned that God is a loving Father who takes care of His children; yes, He may hand out discipline if we mess up but not as Charles was taught. Once you come to know God as a loving Father, your fear is no longer the kind that makes you “scared” of Him, but one that causes you to honor and respect Him for who He is. He loves and cares for His children more than ANY earthly father could begin to do. Since this revelation has come to Charles, he sees LOVE; not fright.
Charles, as stated, will weep at anything he sees as a result of God’s hand. I weep when I think of how much the Father loves us, yet how horribly most people treat the Holy God and Father. Why can’t we just love Him; that’s all He wants.
I am reminded of a time when we drove our 1982 Winnebego to Georgia from Pennsylvania. On the way down, as anyone would do, each time we stopped for gas we checked the oil and other fluids. If memory serves, we put maybe two quarts of oil in on the trip down. We had smelled oil and evidently we were losing it but did not know how. When we got to Georgia, at the home of my daughter, we mentioned it to her husband who had mechanical experience, and he crawled underneath and saw that an oil line was leaking. He couldn’t repair it as he had no garage and not the proper tools. We didn’t want to take it to a garage away from home due to the typical overcharge of out-of-towners by garages. When we got ready to leave, we made sure the oil was full; and prayed. Charles asked the Father to have an angel wrap his hand around the line so we could get back home. From the time we’d left Pennsylvania until the morning we left Georgia to come back home we had probably put 4 or 5 quarts of oil in the engine. As we had done on the way down, but with more frequency, we checked the oil on the way back. We never had to replace any oil. When we got home, we were only down by one-half quart. God had protected us and done what we had asked in prayer, and we were able “at home” to get the line replaced at a very nominal fee.
There have been numerous, miraculous incidents such as I have mentioned; the time when Charles started to pull out onto the highway and the steering wheel jerked out of his hand and pulling us back onto the side of the road just as another vehicle flew past. He turned to thank me, assuming I had seen the vehicle, only to hear me say, “I didn’t do it.”; the time when he fell down the back steps and launched into the air, landing on his side, away from his liver that was a damaged one from chemicals from where he had worked years before. He had developed chemical hepititis, and any kind of stress or jarring would have caused his liver to start bleeding and he would die; he landed gently on the left side with his liver protected. The time when we were living in Pennsylvania and had a huge catabaw tree in our front yard. It had begun to split in the middle and we knew it would eventually split in two and fall across the highway, possibly onto some passer-by traveling in their vehicle, and the other half would fall on the house. We prayed that God would take care of the situation. When we called the highway department, because it was on the “right of way”, they sent someone out to look at it, and though they would cut it down, they had to wait until fall and all the leaves had fallen. When they finally came and cut the tree, they placed a chain around the top to hold it together while they cut; then when it fell, it broke up,as Charles often says, “like potato chips”. The tree cutters were stymied at what had held the tree together; it was nothing more than an empty shell. It was rotted from within till there was only about a three inch “frame” around the tree holding it up. We told them that the hand of God had held it together until the appointed time. The time when we were coming home from a sing in Somerset, Kentucky on the parkway, where the speed limit is 65, and as we pulled off the parkway onto the exit ramp, we found the break pedal going all the way to the floor before stopping the van. In this instance, we were still two miles from home and had a friend coming home with us. The brakes were fine once we “pumped” them up, and we were able to get home safely; thankful that the hand of God was on us and there was no reason to have a sudden stop on the highway; and finding out we were low on brake fluid. The numerous auto accidents I have had in which I should not have walked away unharmed…most especially the last one in 1998. The times where we had other problems with our vehicle and all it cost us was a bit of time and perspiration.
The reason I am telling of these past incidents is to tell you of the greatest thus far; which happened yesterday, June 9, 2011. We had gone to get our groceries as usual on Monday and everything was as it should be; but when Charles went in to pray yesterday, which was a Thursday, he was told by the Father, “go to the store today and get what you need.” We had assumed that there would either be storms coming on our usual Monday or something else would keep us busy that HE did not want us distracted from. So we hurriedly got dressed and went out to the van…everything seemed fine, as it should. We got into the van and Charles turned the key to start the van and we noticed a very strong smell of gasoline. He promptly shut the van off; got out; checked under the hood; under the van…and no sign of reason for the odor. We figured at this point that it must be from somewhere else, as we live approximately one mile from a gas station.
We went on to the store; stopped at a drug store to make a purchase, still smelling the gas, looked under the hood of the van again and saw nothing. We stopped at another place, and did the same thing…again no apparent reason for the odor. Finally we got to Walmart, our final stop before going back home…it is about 10 miles from our home to Walmart and the other places were on the way, but the round trip was roughly 20 miles give or take a mile or two. Again we looked and saw no apparent reason for the odor. When we returned home, I began taking our purchases into the house and Charles once again checked under the hood, and came into the house almost panicked to tell me “WE HAVE A MAJOR PROBLEM, there is gas pouring out all over the engine.” I rushed out to see what was going on and sure enough, there was a small stream of gasoline running out of the gas line. I then went to loosen the gas cap to release the pressure and the gas stopped running out. I am here to tell you, ONLY BY THE MIRACULOUS HAND OF OUR LOVING FATHER WERE OUR LIVES SPARED!!! PRAISE HIS HOLY AND GLORIOUS NAME!!! AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!
We called around to several places to find a solution to the problem and were told by the manufacturer that the replacement part isn’t made anymore, but we might get one at a junk yard. So we are in the process of having the van towed in and repaired. MAYBE someone can come up with a solution that will last for as long as we need the van; which interprets to “when God says it’s time” to get a replacement. We know how HUGE a miracle was in this. Other than the Father’s hand being on the vehicle, we would have had an engine fire and possibly been burned to death. The garage owner just this morning said, “you should have had an engine fire.” The gas was spraying on the engine parts that get really hot, the places that have “electricity” going to them that “should have” created a spark to start a fire. Even the man who came to get the van, when Charles showed him under the hood, said “you should have had a MAJOR explosion and fire.” BUT GOD SAID “NO!!!“
You may wonder why it would happen now, two weeks before the convention at the end of the month. The convention is held about 30 miles away and for at least half the way, there is a stretch of road where there would be no way to find assistance; and we would have possibly had others with us in the van along with our necessary things for the convention; product, etc. We have the time necessary to get it repaired and should there not be enough time, we have a local car rental place should we need it.
There are many, many more similar incidents, but there would not be enough time to relay them all. But rest assured that satan will NOT stop us from the call God has placed on us. The more satan tries, the more we know we are doing what we are supposed to do. Why else would he attempt to stop us so many times; in so many different ways; if we were not in God’s will. This, too, increases our faith and trust in knowing that God will protect us and supply our needs. We must be faithful to HIM and He will be faithful to us. Yes, there are things that happen we don’t understand, but we trust that HE has a purpose for allowing it to happen. We don’t question Him, we just pray that
He will be glorified in whatever happens. The van will cost money I’m sure, to get it repaired, but God supplies that; one way or another.
Look for the miracles in your life and trust that when things seem to be going downhill; or not going as you would like them to. Ask yourself, “how can this bring honor and glory to God?” It won’t happen by getting angry with God or other people involved. It won’t happen by turning away from God; but it will happen by allowing your faith and trust to be strengthened in the Father and letting others see how much you trust; even when you don’t understand.
God looks for pure hearts who will love Him no matter what comes their way.
We have written an article called “How Can I Impress God?” This is how…keep trusting Him and loving Him in spite of what satan throws in your path. God will not forsake you. Many people have been doing searches on “how can I impress God”, so many must want to know, but there is only ONE way and that is with complete love and trust from a pure heart.
The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence. 2 Samuel 22:3
But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. Psalm 3:3
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. Psalm 28:7
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Psalm 91:4
Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield. Psalm 115:11
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Proverbs 30:5
© Maxine Branthoover 06/10/2011
P.S. God is faithful! When we had prayed about the latest issue with the van, the Father guided us in what to do and said, “the man at the garage will bless you.” They picked up the van this morning, shortly after 9:00. Just before 1:00 this afternoon, they called and said the van is ready. The total charge including the towing fee was 1/4 the cost of the part alone had we used the dealer but when we called the dealership, they told us the part was no longer being made, and we would have to find one at a junk yard. I believe the cost of the repair is yet another miracle from God.
All has been supplied.
A few are scratching their heads in bewilderment, and we can smile and testify to the miraculous hand of protection and the supply of need.
AIN'T GOD GRAND? Amen! Maxine
Erica
Charles
Maxine
