The story you are about to read IS TRUE !!! You may either read it, in it's entireity or you may simply stop here and call it 'foolish'.
A little background information first. I was working in a truck / automobile tire repair shop. I fixed flat tires on anything from a wheelbarrow to a backhoe to a tractor trailer to a off-road vehicle. Now, on with my experience. IT DID HAPPEN, I HAVE NO REASON TO SAY IT DIDN'T !!
In August 1988, I was on my way to Waxhaw, North Carolina, for a short-term missionary trip. Before I left, I made out a budget of my expenses of which I thought I would need. My budget was $250.00. (Gas WAS cheaper back then). I had $200.00 when I left. REMEMBER - I WAS $50.00 BELOW WHAT I NEEDED FOR THE WEEK !! The Bible said that God will supply ALL my needs. Well, if God wanted me to go, He would supply my needs, as I needed them.
Before I left, I said a prayer for safety in travel and, because I was on vacation, to 'do His Work', I WASN'T going to fix any flat tires, NO how, NO way.
Okay, I filled my car with gas, and I left for my 'vacation'. I drive towards my destination, and halfway in Virginia, I noticed that, in the distance, a pickup truck had a blow-out. I saw it, and I said to myself "I'm not stopping". Got closer "NO, I'm not stopping". Drove past, looked at driver "NO, I'm not stopping". I drove past, I DIDN'T stop, and I DIDN'T feel guilty.
HOWEVER, as I approached the next exit, my car 'pulls' to the right. I'm thinking to myself - NO, I'm not going back, I'm doing your work. As the exit gets closer, my car 'pulls' sharper to the right. NO, NO, NO, I'm NOT going back. However, I couldn't 'steer' my car as I approached the exit ramp. OKAY, I'll go back - and just like that, I could steer.
I went back, about 30 miles to the last exit, and as I passed the guy in the pickup, he WASN'T doing anything. Okay, got off exit and came down, pulling in behind him. He still isn't doing anything. And, he's older than I was. I get out of my car and ask what the problem was. He said that I wouldn't believe him. What I just been through, YES I would. Then he asked me if I passed him about 30 minutes ago. With all the cars going past him, on a major interstate, HOW could he remember if I passed him 30 minutes ago ???
Well, after an exchange of talking, this APPARENTLY was his first flat tire and he DIDN'T know what to do. Well, I got my tire tools and 12-ton jack (Which I WASN'T bringing along but did anyways) out of my car, and put his spare tire on. He offered to pay me, but I said that I would 'be rewarded' in Heaven. He insisted, I keep refusing. THEN, he called his wife and she insisted, 'shoving' the money in my shirt pocket. Okay, I'll take it, just don't tear my shirt. I took it, NEVER looked at it. We shook hands, and we went on our different ways, him to Texas, me to North Carolina.
Next day was Sunday. I went to church, and I 'budgeted' $5.00 for offering. Well, when the offering came, I put in my $5.00 PLUS what I 'made' yesterday from changing the guy's tire. It was . . . . . . a $50.00 bill. I had no problems 'giving it' because I knew what God was 'teaching me'. After church, people from the congregation invited me home for dinner. Later that night, another family picked me up for supper. That week, I was invited out three times.
Fast-forward to the following Saturday. I knew I needed $20.00 for gas, to get home. I had all my 'budgeted items' in separate envelopes, that was marked with each expense. Example: Turnpike - $1.60. Gas - $20.00. Lodging - $30.00. And everything I spent, I marked down, even 55
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