The last two days I spent traveling to Michigan to visit a seminary and meet friends at SEND on the way home. The trip was great, learning about the school, finding that there are some ties to this new place for me, getting to know people much better, and safe travels. The rain storm I met on my way into Michigan on Thursday was also my travel buddy back through Ohio on Friday night. The roads got nasty; water laying on the road + trucks kicking up lots of thick mist + night + my car (for which people had been praying that it would get me to Michigan and back safely) = tough driving. I called a friend and asked for prayer for safe driving. An hour later, the fun began.
I was driving on I-80 near Youngstown, Ohio. For whatever reason, I hadn't remembered to get directions back to Indiana. When I saw a road sign for PA 422, I took it without thinking that I should wait to get on it a little later in my trip. It's around 11pm. As I'm following 422 through some towns, my car dies. Thankfully it drifts to a safe spot on the side of the road. The rain is coming down really hard at this point. I call my family and ask their advice. They look up a phone number for a towing company that should be nearby. The tow truck is on its way but can't seem to find me. As I wait near an intersection, a man comes down from the bar a half block up the street. He asks what the problem is and says he'll fix it for twenty bucks - cheaper than a tow truck would be. I'm stuck, I'm waiting for the tow truck, and now there's a guy hounding me for money. I was hoping for a good Samaritan to give it a jump start.
After a while the tow truck driver calls and says he can't find it and he's been up and down the street I said. The guy from the bar gets my car to start. I give him a few bucks (all that's in my wallet) for helping me. But it's not the twenty he wanted, so he stays in my car and says lets go to an ATM. Feeling like I don't have much choice, we go up the road to a gas station. I have to let the car idle while I go in, afraid that it might not start again. As I'm about to go into the gas station grudgingly, the car dies again. I really don't want to pay this guy any more, but I don't think I can get rid of him any other way. The tow truck driver calls back and says that the place I named where it broke down was way out of his area. Apparently I'm not in the town I thought. The guy gets someone to come over and give the car a jump. Thankfully I had jumper cables. After a few minutes it starts. So I get him the twenty dollars he's been after. I hope that he doesn't drive off before I return. I give him the money and we part ways. Somehow my car makes it the rest of the way back home.
About a minute down the road I realize what just happened. Why did I take that detour? Why did my car die? Why did he come down? I read less than a day earlier about the paralytic in Acts. The apostles didn't have money to offer but they shared the gospel - the greatest gift of all time. I met that man to share Jesus Christ with him, but I didn't do it. In my time of stress and trial, it crossed my mind once, briefly, and I didn't act on it. I confess, I repent, but what if that man never again has a chance to hear the Gospel?
Lord, merciful and gracious beyond our understanding, help us to be Your lights in this world. May You find a way to reach every man, woman and child with Your message, that none who would turn to You for salvation remain without a witness.
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