God is Good, Even When Not Understood

A month ago or so, I bought tickets for a concert. Steven Curtis Chapman, Jason Gray and Laura Story. Not a day went by since finding out about the concert, that I did not smile with excitement. The first two artists have both made a very big impact in my life and journey in Christ. I have cried singing their songs in worship on my own – sitting at our kitchen table on my laptop. I have met Jason a couple of times and he is easily one my favourite people in the entire world. I admire him more than almost anyone. Constantly, I was filled with warmth in anticipation to be able to worship God and become closer to Him with these three remarkable people.

One of my closest friends (we’ll call him Oslo) and I set off for the concert at about 3:45PM – singing to music we were soon to hear live. It was about a 2.5 hour trip to get to the city where the concert was being held. We had made about an hour and a half, when our vehicle broke down out of nowhere. In the middle of nowhere. We were in the middle of the country and it was already dark outside. As well as being intensely windy and a “feels like” temperature of 2 degrees. There were only two houses to be found anywhere in sight. Oslo and I went to the house with lights on. The door was opened by a tall, slender male in his late 20s. A top poodle barking with its camouflage sweater just behind him.  He was quiet and I explained what happened. He allowed us to come in just as his wife-to-be appeared at the top of the stairs with a curious but kind expression. We asked about the nearest town, finding out there was a very small town 2 miles North and a city 10 miles back the way we had come. It was now about 6:00PM on a Friday evening, 24 hour towing services would be open, but no repair shops anywhere near. They helped us look up a towing company for the small town. As I was on the phone and finding out that it would be 145 dollars to tow our vehicle just 2 miles, the wife interjected, saying we could just push it into their driveway for now and try to figure something else out. I told the man on the other end of the phone that I was going to call my Papi before I did anything more. This was all taking place inside the front door of their split-level home. I could tell you many things about the world, but I am not sure I would know how to change a tire. I knew by this time there would be no way of making it to the concert. I had pushed that out of my mind for the moment and focused on how kind these two strangers were being to us. I was now on the phone with Papi and the plan was for my parents to drive the hour and a half to get us, stay in a hotel and then get the rest figured out in the morning when places were open and it was light outside. I explained what had happened exactly when the vehicle quit – trying to determine what the actual problem was. Oslo then spoke to his father on the phone doing the same, explaining our situation and discussing what the vehicle problem most likely is. After hanging up with Papi for the second time, the husband offered that he could take a look for us. The wife chimed in with that he comes from a family of mechanics and, thus, is pretty handy. This is the point where I started to become overwhelmed by their kindness and the situation’s unfolding. We went out in the bitter cold with a flashlight and some device the husband grabbed from their garage. We pushed the vehicle into their drive – off the shoulder of the highway – and then he assessed the problem. It was the alternator that decided to stop working on us. We got back inside to the warmth, the husband’s fingers frozen. Mine being perfectly well, since the wife gave me gloves to wear. Their attitudes did not show a hint of annoyance! The wife was bubbly, talkative and so friendly. The husband went about everything as if he were doing something for a good friend. We got inside and looked through the phone book for places to go get another alternator and for someone to fix the vehicle. Within the conversation about all this, the husband says, “You know, I could probably fix it for ya. I know how.” (I will try to keep the anecdote shorter as I go now – getting long.) We ended up staying at their home overnight. We called our parents back to let them know no one had to come and get us. It was about 8:30PM at this point. We all went downstairs and watched BUSTED and then a movie. We learned that they had lived there for a few years together and were going to get married in January. The bridal shower is today (Sunday). There was a photo on the wall behind the couch they were sitting on and I recognized the hotel. Crazy – my family has stayed at the same hotel in the Riviera Maya as the couple. Ocean Coral & Turquesa. The hotel they are going back to in January to tie the knot. We then looked through picture books of their past vacations and shared stories and laughs. They went up to ben a little after 9:00PM and we slept on the couches. In the morning, we drove about 15 minutes to an auto place and got an alternator. It was 235 dollars – having had 60 dollars taken off for the old alternator they planned on fixing and selling. We drove back to their house and he went outside to work in the freeeeezing cold. He told us there was nothing for us to do out there, so we stayed in the warm and cozy house. He came in about 40 minutes later because it was just so cold and he needed to warm up. Completely great attitude. Just went about it. He finished up at about 11:05AM. We got their address, added them as friends on facebook, tried to somehow sufficiently display how grateful we were and how wonderful of people they are for helping in all the ways they did and then we headed to Minneapolis. My parents and sister were driving to Minneapolis at the same time, as we had tickets to the Gophers/Badgers game at TCF Bank Stadium. 2:30PM start time. Oslo dropped me off at 12:30 – the corner of Washington Ave Se & Ontario St SE. I ran a block down in my TOMS and thin clothing to PUNCH Pizza, meeting my parents and sister inside. They brought me all kinds of warm clothing and I bundled on up. I wasn’t able to take my medicine Friday night or Saturday – but I did not even get a headache until the very last part of the game! The ride home was rough, but not awful. Plus, I was asked to go see the 2nd Hunger Games movie by someone I always enjoy spending time with. I took medicine as soon as I got home. I started feeling very sick while we were waiting in line. Pounding headache, dizzy and feeling like I may throw up. You can ask the friend I went with about the crazy noises my stomach was making. It was very angry! I had to put my head in between my legs once we sat down in the theatre and it just did not feel like it was going to get any better. The loud noises from the commercials/trailers and from all the people in the packed theatre, plus all the movement and light changing on the big screen…. it was not super fun. But, right as the movie was starting, it went away. Totally, everything. My stomach hurt, but nothing I couldn’t ignore. (Though, it made scary noises during some quiet parts! heheheh)

Missing that concert was tough for me. A time of worship with people I admire so much. I have felt my relationship with God getting stronger than it ever has been before. It was going to be a time where I got even closer to God. A time where I was just going to let myself raise my hands up to the Father and let tears fall. Feeling so undeserving for He has blessed me with and completely overwhelmed by His love and mercy and grace and greatness and holiness and goodness. Once we got settled on their couches for the night, I let myself think a little. I said to Oslo, “If we had not been going anywhere but home or something, I would have thought this to be the coolest thing ever. But, to tell you the truth, I am pretty crestfallen right now.”

Part of me was very calm and happy, even. I definitely was thankful. SO thankful. I mean, we did the math of what it probably would have cost had the couple not been so caring, generous and hospitable. It easily would have been a thousand dollars. Not including the tickets for seats which remained empty during the concert. But, I was trying to think of what God’s purpose was with this. Why would He not want me to go to something that was all about praising Him and would have brought me closer to Him? I tried to think about what I was learning from the situation – how I was growing. I didn’t feel like I was learning anything new. I discussed these things with Oslo and he brought up that God could have been testing me. I truly had been feeling closer to God than ever before and I was being more open about talking about Him to pretty much anyone and everyone around me. I had been giving Christ-following advice to many people. Multiple times talking about we have to trust God even if we do not understand what He is doing. I have always been very good about figuring out a WHY. Thinking about all the good things coming out of a situation, thinking about how I was becoming stronger and wiser through trials. But, this, I just could not think of a reason. A WHY. For what God was thinking; His purpose. Maybe it was a time being used to see if I would start to question, or if I would trust. Even if I had no idea what He was thinking or why He chose for that to happen. I did, I trusted Him. I am not going to pretend that I was incredibly bummed about the concert. More than I can even explain. But, I was not upset at Him. I was incredibly thankful. I enjoyed our adventure. I had one of the best Saturdays of the entire year. And, I thought of something. I kept trying to think about what’s God’s purpose was with this…. pertaining to ME. What if it was not about me? What if it was about Oslo? What if it was about the kind couple we crossed paths with?

What if God was using me to touch THEIR lives? Maybe, through me, He was showing them love and teaching them things. Touching their lives through my actions and words in the situation. What a great blessing it would be for me to have Him use me to touch others lives. I hope that I was able to act in accord with how Jesus would have acted. And, I hope I DID touch their lives. I talked about God to them, so they know what I live for. Hopefully they were able to see His life in me.

That is what I pray. For, it is not about me. It is about Him. #always #HisLove