A Promise Kept

In our small community it is not unusual to see underage drivers helping out with trucks or equipment on the farm.My family is no exception. So when my husband Gerald asked my 11-year-old son Joey to go get the small tractor and drive it up from the field he got right to it. A few minutes later the poor boy came running to me with tears streaming down his face sobbing, “I hit Ina’s car!” While her car was still drivable, the damage was significant. Gerald was furious with Joey, I was angry at Gerald, and characteristically, Ina was not mad at anyone (only concerned about her nephew).

We called the insurance company right away. Our agent said there was no way our insurance would cover it. Ina’s agent said they could cover it but that the policy rates would increase 30%. We could not get them to work with us. The repairs, which we were determined to pay for, were going to cost us over $4,000. We had worked hard over the last few years to get out of debt, and we had succeeded. But we hadn’t saved anywhere near enough to pay the bill. It was going to have to go on the credit card.

We were so discouraged. We did not want to acquire more debt, but we had no other option. Then the scripture in Malachi came into my mind. “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse…and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shallnot be room enough to receive it.” We pay a full tithe, and we have “proven” the Lord before. I felt it was time to ask for a miracle. I prayed to Heavenly Father and said that we wanted to stay out of debt, that we paid our tithing, and that we needed a miracle. I told Him that I didn’t care how it came…if it meant lots of overtime for Gerald or lots of subbing jobs (LOTS of subbing jobs) for me, just that it came. I also told Gerald, “Just so you know, I’m praying for a miracle.”

The next day Gerald called me from work and said, “well you prayed for a miracle.” I expected him to say that he would be working the weekend and miss the trip we had planned, but he said, “I called our former insurance agent (who had relocated to Texas) and told him what was going on. He said ‘no, that’s not right’ and told me what we need to do and say so that Ina’s insurance will cover her car.” I was overcome with gratitude as we received the answer to prayer and our own little miracle. I know that some may argue that it was just coincidence, that we could have thought of this on our own, but I know better. I know that onceagain we have proven the Lord and the windows of Heaven have been opened.

Tawnya O. Wood