In Everything......

…..Give thanks? What?! No way! That's ludicrous, I thought to myself. I'm not going 'give thanks' that we're an hour from home now (finally!), and the car just conked. It won't start back up either!

In the front seats of the car, Mum and Stella were praying earnestly that the car would start. I had been too, until 10 minutes of praying and failed attempts at starting the car, had passed. Then I'd just decided we were just going to have to camp out the night in the car.

It was then that the thought came, 'thank God that the car won't start. You need to thank God for the bad as well as the good.' I, honestly, was incedrulous. How silly. No way. I remembered the verse 'In everything thing give thanks (for this is the will of the Lord)', but it wasn't enough. I continued to wrestle for a few more minutes before.... I finally gave in and bowed my head.

“Dear God,

Thank-you that the car won't start.”

I literally didn't get to say 'Amen'. At that moment I heard Stella say to Mum, 'Just try start it one more time.' So Mum did. And right then, just as I was thanking God that the car wouldn't start, it did. Not only that, but we got all the way home too! (60 kms of gravel in the dark.)

In the morning, after Dad checked out what was wrong with the car, he said, “I can't explain how you got home with this vehicle. It was a miracle.”

I have an awesome God. I think I'm going to remember to thank Him sooner the next time! ;) It just helps me to remember, that God says for us to thank and praise Him, not just when everything is going right. And He means it too. :)

P.S. This incident occurred a few years ago now. I wrote this experience out when I was having a hard time being thankful for something that was happening, when I saw nothing much to be thankful about. God is good. :)