Something Amazing

June 5 - Day 21
Albuquerque, NM
Written By Viking

"Something amazing is going to happen through this, and God will be glorified. His church will be encouraged, their faith strengthened, and our scooter trip will continue on."

That was written in the last blog entry on Friday evening.

Saturday morning Brady and I woke up from a great night of rest to a delicious breakfast of biscuits and gravy. After relaxing for a little bit and making a game-plan, we were given the keys to a Toyota Solara, and I was able to fulfill my childhood goal of driving in a convertible on route 66 with a good friend. We spent a good chunk of the day searching for a new or used Ruckus to purchase. We cannot afford one with the funds we have, but many generous people have offered to support our ministry and help to meet our need for a new scooter. It has been a humbling experience to be at the mercy of others for the continuation of our trip. It has also been a sweet blessing.

After searching every Honda motorsports dealer in New Mexico, it was discovered by Brady and I that the only Ruckus with a warranty was a used Ruckus in Albuquerque. Our options seemed pretty limited. However, I felt most comfortable with waiting until Monday to make a decision. The willingness of people to help us purchase the scooter was a tremendous blessing, but we were going to stay for the weekend anyway, and I wasn't totally convinced that God didn't have something amazing in store.

After seeking some counsel, it was decided that we would put some earnest money down on the used Ruckus to ensure that it wasn't sold before we moved forward on Monday. I have a Wells Fargo account, and we've moved into Wells Fargo banking territory, so I decided to draw a little cash out of my account to put down on the Ruckus. I knew my account was dangerously low, so I jumped online to confirm that I did have enough money for a small down-payment.

My account information appeared and I stared at it for a bit. I then began shaking. I called Brady's name and went downstairs. Basically, some backpay from some military benefits finally decided to show up in my checking account, and I will be able to purchase a new scooter without any financial pressure. I invite you to sit back and offer a prayer of praise to God right now. This timing was no coincidence. The stress of having to buy a new scooter was weighing heavy, and the lesson in humility to accept and request other people's help had already carried its course. I had packed away this bank account, knowing that I wasn't going to touch it for the rest of the trip.

This was NOT what I expected, either. Neither of us did. I trusted that God was capable of something amazing, but if you had given me 100 guesses, this would not have made the list.

So, tomorrow (Monday) Brady and I will be going to the dealer. I will have a painful goodbye to Wilberforce as we trade her in for a minimal return, and Lord-willing the dealers will have their hearts stirred to partner with us in our ministry and offer us a remarkably good deal. It would be foolish not to trust that God is capable of such things. Please pray that God's love radiates through the actions of Brady and I as we interact in the often frustrating world of vehicle sales.

Albuquerque wasn't even a planned stop on our trip. It was where we assumed there would be a Honda dealer, but we didn't know that it would be the only dealer in New Mexico with a Ruckus. Before this weekend we didn't know anybody in Albuquerque, and now we've met so many people who have completely adjusted their routines to help us and support us in our ministry. Our time of worship with the family at Desert Springs was a delight, as has been our indoctrination into authentic southwestern cuisine.

The rest has also been a tremendous blessing. This is obviously the longest we have been off our scooters, but we've been having restful nights of sleep, relaxing days, and great times of fellowship and reflection.

We have a big day tomorrow, perhaps even resuming our westward travel, so I will wrap this up. I wanted to close with a few lyrics from some songs we sang to God today.

"We will stand as children of the promise
We will fix our eyes on Him our soul's reward
Till the race is finished and the work is done
We'll walk by faith and not by sight"

"Did we in our own strength confide
Our striving would be losing"

That is our prayer, our praise, and our confidence to boldly carry on.

"Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act." Psalm 37:5