ANOTHER "EXCEEDING ABUNDANTLY!"

Not sure if one of my pages tells the story of how I got my job or not. It should, and if it doesn't, I'll take care of that...even though it will be out of chronological order. It was a true "exceeding abundantly." Here is another.

I wrote on August 27th that my car was dripping...no, oozing...transmission fluid and that the price tag to remedy the situation would be $1600. About a month later, after daily checking on the size of the little pools of transmission fluid, I found green fluid on my tarp as well. "Hmmmm, Christmas colors," I mumbled.

The first leak was something that would still allow for hope. Adding a little of a product called Lucas, held off the inevitable. But, the second leak did something odd to me: it made me immediately make up my mind to look for a car on Friday, my day off.

Now, I could not have reacted mentally in such a way so quickly under normal circumstances, but the road to this quick decision had been paved with many-a prayer to my Heavenly Father. For months I tossed the idea around. Then, I switched over to completely casting this particular care upon Him. "Lord," I said, "You know exactly what I need and what I can afford. You even know what I would like. I am not going to worry about it one bit!" And I didn't.

So on the day that the green and red ponds showed up together, I guess God just gave me peace and a green light to start the process. I must add that one other problem with my '95 LeBaron helped to brighten that green light. My wonderful car was a convertible. It was our "toy," so to speak, as Ken and I drove around Illinois looking for houses, top down, music playing, the two of us in a type of second childhood, and our "wheels" for our 40th anniversary trip out west. But, the roof leaked and had gotten so bad that sometimes there was an eighth of an inch of water on the floor, to say nothing of very soggy seats. Plastic bags were a necessary travel companion!

A different car had ceased to be a luxurious idea. Now it was a necessity.

On Friday, I drove to one car dealership which had no Hondas. I wanted a Honda. They told me where the Honda dealer was in Rockford. I went. The salesman showed me one car. Even at first sight it was "exceeding abundantly" more than I could ask or think. I thought at first that we going to walk by it to see a different car. When he opened the door and I sat inside, the "EA" quotient jumped; but when I saw the price, there was a smile in my heart. The sticker price had put it out of reach. Then, I saw the bright green letters on the windshield and they told a different story!

Really, my dear friends, the car is "exceeding abundantly" more than I could (or did) ask or think. The car is one of those with all the bells and whistles. Repeatedly...yes, repeatedly...I just look up (out of my moon roof...or is it a sunroof) and tell my Heavenly Father how thankful I am for my new car.

Yes, I am thankful for my new car, but I am deeply grateful for two other things: one, how detailed is the Lord's care for me, and two, that I spent not one speck of consternation about the purchase. In the most real sense of the word, I had "committed" this issue to God months before and had truly taken my hands off. Such peace He gives when you wait on Him and long for His will. I want to do all of life like this! I'm working on it.

Exceeding abundantly according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus!