The ming-blue jazzed up sporty little Hyundai had my name on it, declaring God’s special favour!
The desire for a sporty car had been a joke really. I’d never even prayed specifically for it. Yet beyond all expectation, God had stepped in and blessed.
Returning from eight years in China with AU$1470 in savings, I quickly realized that I’d need a car of my own if I were to get a job and have a nice life. $1470 doesn’t go far!
As I casually looked around, it became a running joke that all the cars I admired were metallic blue or green sporty-looking little things. “There’s another car for Suzanne”, someone would say. I have expensive tastes, it seems. Unfortunately, I only had AU$1470. “I wouldn’t REALLY want a sports car”, I confided a number of times to whoever would listen. “I’d be scared of its power. I just want a normal little car that looks like a sports car.”
I had borrowed a clunky big car for six weeks to help me get around. About four weeks into that time, and no closer to purchasing a car, I was in another city visiting friends. The phone rang. “God told us to buy you the car that a friend’s neighbour is selling.”
There were only three catches. First, they lived about 200 kilometres from home and were going away later that week. Second, the car needed to be registered and insured. Third, it would take two more weeks for the car to be ready – it had been in an accident months earlier and never fully repaired.
Amazingly, the city they lived in was exactly where I was when I received the phone call. “I’ll just pop over … I’m about 5 kilometres away!” The line which scared me a little was “… just needs to be registered and insured.” What was I getting myself into? Beggars can’t be choosers, but I wasn’t exactly a beggar … was I?
When I laid eyes on that little car, I knew that I was no beggar. Indeed, I am a daughter of the king. He provides for His own. Ming-blue (metallic blue-green), with a spoiler, mag wheels and a huge ‘Sports’ decal down each side, it was my dream come true. Yet under the hood it was just another little putt-putt car. Again, exactly how I’d wanted it.
To register the car wasn’t cheap, and before insuring it, I was required to fit an immobilizer. All up, the bill came to $1480. A man gave me $10 at church that Sunday for ‘whatever’. Two weeks later, I passed the clunky car over to the newest returnee from overseas, and caught the train to the city where ‘my’ car awaited me. First stop was the motor vehicle registry office. They issued me the license plate ‘YRG 790’. Surely, the letters stand for ‘You’re Great’. The car is great, but even greater is the One who gave me exactly what I had dreamt about but never hoped for or even thought to pray for. I drove home feeling like a princess … which I am.
Two years down the track, I am about to return that beautiful sporty ming-blue car to my benefactors, and go back to China. I’m sad to part with such a tangible expression of God’s love and care. Nevertheless, I know that the same God who provided so over-and-above for me in the first place continues to watch over my life. I wonder what will be around the corner as He provides for the next step? I already have a snazzy red bike in storage in China. I do need an apartment though……
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