So for about a year now I had really been looking at bigger cars. I had a wonderful SUV that was paid off and still running just fine, so I honestly couldn't see getting anything newer and add a payment. Well as most of you know, back in August our old senior pastors daughter moved in with us to finish out her senior year here at Irmo High School. Well with that transition her parents gave us their 2000 Dodge Caravan if we gave Kate our 2002 Montero Sport. I had been praying for a new van, not a Dodge and I had been very specific, so I thought God was providing the Dodge. And before I go any further I will share with you what my specific prayer request was just so you know. I was specifically praying for a Toyota Sienna or Honda Odyssey minivan that was less 10 years old and had less than 100,000 miles on it, and was under $9000. And when I say specific I mean I seriously prayed these very things. So like I said, when they offered us their 2000 Dodge I was like well God I'm not one for settling, but I'll take because maybe I'm being spoiled and FREE is always better. We took the offer and Sissy Kate got our SUV. I still continued to pray for my specific "swagger wagon" just in case God had something still out there for us. Well the end of October and first week of November Barry and I decided that we were going to stop looking for a new van. We just weren't finding the one for us with our specific request.
Well Barry left the first week of November to go to Hawaii to visit Wes Luke and then to California to visit his brother and his family. One of the Sunday's he was gone I was driving to church and passed the Publix by our house. As looked over and saw a navy blue Honda Odyssey parked in the parking lot with a FOR SALE sign on it. Interesting I thought to myself. I couldn't really see anything the sign said on it, but I did catch an 88,000. I knew that was the mileage and I got disappointed. I knew it was out of our league if it only had 88,000 miles on it. And off to church I continued. But the whole time in the service I kept thinking of THAT van. After church the boys and I went to lunch with some friends and then Isaac went home with them for the afternoon. I decided to run to the fabric store to get fabric to finish Christmas presents I was making. On the way home Eli fell asleep and something, God, told me to go look at that van. So I did. I drove up and was like this is the van for us. Looked at the sign and it read that it had 88,000 miles on it and it was a 2003. I stopped and looked again that there was TWO of our three specific prayer request. I almost stopped readying because I knew there was NO way it would meet our third request of being under $9000. But I went on and it said $8900. My eyes blurred up and I re looked....$8900, $8900, $8900. I kept saying it over and over again. This HONDA ODYSSEY, met ALL THREE of our request!!!! LESS THAN 10 YEARS OLD, LESS THAN 100,000 MILES, AND LESS THAN $9000!!!!! I immediately took a picture with my phone and sent it to Barry saying, "I think this is our "GOD" van". He replied back well get the number and call. So I did. And the story gets better!!!!
Son on Monday I drove by there when I took Isaac to school and the van was still there. I was praising Jesus. I got back home and called the number. A soft spoken lady answered and I went on to share with her that we were interested in the van and wanted to see why they were selling it for such a great deal. She went on to tell me that her father had given her and her husband a vehicle, but the terms were they had to keep it. She said they were Honda people, but with her fathers request and mileage on his vehicle they just felt like they should sell the van. I then ventured out to tell her how we had prayed these specifics and this van met them all and how I thought God was providing us this van. I was sure she thought I was crazy. And I even told her that she probably did. She began laughing and said, "No mam you're not crazy! My husband is a pastor of a church here in Irmo and I totally understand praying for things." As soon as she said that a lump came in my throat and I knew God was all over this. She went on, "My husband and I have been praying to see which car we were supposed to sell, his Honda Accord or my Honda Odyssey. And we had actually decided on the Accord. But then last week God told us both that we were to sell the van. So we looked it up and thought okay well this is a better deal, we can get more money. Then God woke her up the night before they parked it to show it off to sell and told her that they had to make is less than $9000 and they needed to park it at Publix." Did you just read that folks?!!!!! God had told them to sacrifice and sell a car they could make more money off and selling it for less. And not just less for $8900 and then to place it at Publix!!! I started shaking as soon as she shared. And then she said, "well and God told us there was a family in Irmo that needed this van. And so we did what He told us to do, trusting we would be blessed and would bless a family." I busted out that I thought we were the family and then told her my husband would be home Tuesday night and we wanted to see and test drive the car on Wednesday morning. And I knew from the moment that God was blessing us. After all that prayer and then honestly just totally giving it over to Him and really giving up that desire for that "specific" vehicle. I look back and about the time God told them to sell their van was the same time we decided if God had it we had either already received it (Dodge Van) or it was out there and would become available in His time. God is SO funny like that.
Well the story gets better!!!!! I told you it was long, but SO good. So I called Barry and told him everything and he was stoked. That afternoon I sat down and decided to see how we would fit another payment into our already VERY tight budget. I figured up that we could do about $150 extra per month. We would just not eat out a few times and I would really start watching coupons. I also prayed that if this was really HIS van then He would open up all the doors, even the finance ones. Tuesday arrived and at the last minute that morning I decided to send the both boys to mini-munchers after school (stay an hour longer to eat lunch and play). I really never did this because it was extra money, but this day I needed it. Barry was coming home and I needed to really get things in order, or so I thought. I went to pick the boys up and the preschool director happened to be there. I walk in the door and she literally turns to me and ask, "You want to work here don't you?" I looked at her and smiled and was like huh? She went on to tell me that they needed an assistant and she thought I'd be good for it. I still was like huh? She also told me that I could work for one day a week and the boys would get free schooling or that I could work for at least 2 days and then do mini-munchers and I would get free preschool tuition and get paid!! I stared at her like a deer in head lights. God was at it again!!!! Right there, just dropping tuition was going to bring in an extra $180 per month!!!! And then if I worked two days or more I'd get paid too!!!! How could I say no!!! I told her I'd talk to Barry and pray about it and that I'd let her know on Thursday morning. I knew my answer already, but wanted to make sure Barry was okay with it. I mean seriously how could I not accept that wide open door. I called him immediately as soon as I got in the car. We went to see the van and it was everything we had asked God to provide and more. We then made our offer on Thursday morning ($8500) and they accepted!!! Even better my wonderful grandparents loaned us the money and God was still all over it then. We originally told the owners that as soon as we got the money we would pay. But until then we would give them a couple hundred to show we meant business. We just knew it would take a few days to get the money and then a few days for it to clear. Well God knew what He was doing there too. We were able to get the money that day directly into our bank and then get them a cashier check!!! A normal process like this normally takes 48 hours....NOT when you've got God on your side!!! It took 4 hours!!! Yes 4 hours!!!! We had OUR new GOD van in our possession by 5:30 p.m. on Thursday!!!! And I tell everyone that it is our GOD van!!! I still look back and am amazed at how God worked/s!!!!
So....here.....it......is........
OUR GOD VAN!!!!!
With all that. Long I know, but you have learned about our God van and that well I now have a job. And I LOVE IT!!!!
Peace Out,
Nikki
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