The Long Awaited Day

Mark 11:24

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

John 14:14
If you will ask anything
in My name,
I will do it.

On Saturday, March 1, 2008, the Lord gave us the desires of our heart. Andrew and I have been married for almost 7 years come this June. We have only had one vehicle our married life together. It has withstood the test of time! Within those almost 7 years, we have definitely outgrown our car. Our 3 little treasures have snugly fit in the backseat...3 car seats in a row and Andrew and I in the front. There is always room for one more up front in the middle, but you have to sit a little higher up with your head touching the ceiling...just ask Emmy :). It truly has been a daily sacrifice to share the car. There are days when Andrew has to have the car and if I need something during the day, I am at the mercy of family, friends, and neighbors. Other times when I require the car, Andrew and I have to get the girls up extra early to load them in the car in order to take Daddy to work so we can have a vehicle. It's back breaking work as well lifting a baby carrier over two other children to fit little Mercy in the middle. I have accidentally hit many a knee and head trying to get Mercy into the car. I remember times where I would lean against our Taurus and cry. I would plead with the Lord saying, "I don't know how much longer I can do this, Lord. Please provide us another car." Yet, the Lord gave His continued strength and grace to keep trusting in Him for His perfect timing. I kept telling myself, "We have made it this long with only one car, we can keep going." Praise to our Great God that He delights in meeting the needs and desires of our hearts.

Several months back, we took the Taurus in to our car mechanic because it was having "issues." Our car mechanic told us he had to stop "writing" after awhile because the car had so many problems. It basically came down to the fact that the transmission was going out and to replace it would be costly. It was in our better interest just to purchase another car and run the Taurus until it was gone. Now Andrew and I fervently began to pray. Over the last couple weeks we began searching the internet for a minivan. We had researched for hours on what would be the best quality van for our time and money. It came down to two choices...a Toyota Sienna or a Honda Odyssey. We really liked the Toyota Sienna, but after much looking, the price for a used one was out of our range...at least for the type of mileage we needed. The Lord shut many doors and we began to be discouraged. God's Word was sufficient though. We relied on God's plans and ways being greater than our own, and He knew what we could not see.

On Friday, February 29, 2008, we were about to go and look at a van that we thought was the "one." It had been listed on eBay and it was at a local dealer here in Greenville. Just as we were about to walk out the door to go look at the van and the works, the price jumped on eBay to a place we could not afford. I was disheartened, but not cast down. I knew that if God wanted that van for us, He would have held it. Our Friday plans had changed and it was back to looking and researching on the internet. Late Friday night, after a time spent in prayer and a fun night as a family at Chuck E. Cheese, it came to me to just randomly type in vans for sale in Georgia. I had looked nearby Georgia, but not actually Georgia itself. Of course it was not just randomness, it was the Lord. A 2000 Toyota Sienna came up for an unbelievable price with low mileage in Duluth, Georgia. Andrew, I, and the girls drove 2 1/2 hours on Saturday morning to look at this van. It was located at a hole in the wall type dealership that makes you feel a little like this is too good to be true. When the dealer came out, we told him we wanted to have the van inspected because there was no warranty on the vehicle. He let us take the van to the Toyota Dealership of Atlanta to have it checked out. The Lord placed people at the Toyota Dealership that helped us immensely in the decision of purchasing the van. They gave it a thorough inspection and told us that the mileage and engine were top notch. This model of the Sienna was guaranteed at least 300,000 miles. There was currently 80,000 on the van. Yes, there were a few things that needed to be fixed, such as new tires and a new battery...we had the dealer give us a new battery. We also have to fix a valve leak, but for the price, we were willing to do it. It was an all day adventure, but we ended up coming home with a beautiful van. It has leather interior, captains chairs, 6 disc Cd changer, cassette player, AM/FM radio, a powered sun roof, and much more. We are extremely blessed to be driving in such luxury. It was all the Lord's timing, and His timing is perfect. We truly give Him all the praise for His gift to us. Remember, our dear friends and family....

THE WEALTH IS IN THE WAITING!