Author: Jean Peterson

God provides. I see that now. I have to tell you about two of my cars to give you an example of how.

When I was in college as a single mom, I drove an old Chevy Malibu. Ran great. However, rusty doesn’t begin to describe that old car. In fact, when my son was almost three, after seeing me do it a few days prior, he decided to wash the car without my knowledge. If you have ever been around a three-year-old, you know how fast they can act when out of your sight for a minute.

When he washed the car, the windows were all down. I had to take up all the carpet that was drenched and eventually stunk. We sat on towels for days. I discovered something pretty amazing, as far as my kids were concerned, when I ripped out that carpet. The floorboards were rusted completely through in the back seat. Holes about six inches in diameter were in both sides of the floor.

The kids loved it. They could watch the road fly by on our trips to Grandpa and Grandma’s. They could throw things out the floor as we drove along. I didn’t know that they were doing that right away but they thought it was fun until they got caught. The highlight was the time we went out to leave for school and there was a chipmunk in the car. Yup, climbed in through one of those holes. We had a heck of a time getting it back out. It was sure funny. We called that car our Flintstone car.

But sadly, that old green car met its end in an accident early in my last year of college. No one was hurt but you can imagine; a single mom with no money, no collision insurance because the car was so old it had no value, and hit by a car with an owner who blew through a stop sign, had no insurance and no money. Not a good day!

Enter the worst car buying decision of my life. I took my younger brother with me to help me choose a new used car. I chose a car lot that sold the type of car I could afford, cheap, really cheap.

I had $1,000 to spend from my student loan for that semester. It was my last semester before my student teaching. I would have to drive about 50 miles each way to the school I had been assigned to for student teaching. I needed a dependable car. My kids would be in daycare early and late and I had no family in that town to pick them up if my car broke down.

So, enter the Chevy Citation. It was the right size for me and my three kids. It looked good, no rust. It was the right price. Just $,1000. That salesman seemed to know exactly what I needed. One problem, it was a standard transmission (stick shift) and I didn’t know how to drive one. I knew I was smart enough to figure it out though. My brother could do the test drive.

The car was covered with ice and snow in the lot. Windows were scraped off enough to be legal and we drove away. Not bad. Drives OK. Went back to the dealer and bought the car and my brother drove it away. Then gave me a few driving lessons. And off I went back to my home. I can’t remember if it was a 4 speed or 5 speed but you get the picture.

Well, within a week I knew I had been taken. Here’s what I learned about that car. It had a crack the entire length of the front windshield. Ice had covered it up. It had no parking brakes, pretty important with a standard transmission. It had no catalytic converter, had in fact been bypassed by the prior owner. And two weeks later it had no second gear. The first three things were safety issues and the dealer had to fix them. The transmission though, that was my problem. Now, I don’t know that God chose that exact car with all those problems. I do know He used that car with all its problems to teach me some valuable lessons.

Learning to drive a stick shift is a challenge, learning to drive a stick shift with no second gear, well, I can’t think of any word bigger than challenge but it was bigger for sure.

I learned how to speed shift. I didn’t know I could be so cool! I didn’t know that was cool. I learned that if you took too long to get it into gear at a stop sign, you could get hit by the person behind you who thought you were long gone, twice! I learned it was really hard to speed shift from a dead stop on a hill. I learned you could roll all the way down that hill before you got it in the next gear. I also learned that the driver of the car behind you will be glad to back down the hill as well.

I learned to never drive on busy streets, to go around them instead. I learned to avoid towns with hills. Oh, the adventures of that car.

I had that car towed to the shop more times than I think I have in all the years and cars since. I don’t remember how I paid for it all but somehow I did. Probably more of my student loan went into the car.

I had some laughs with that car and I had frustrations for sure. One memory stands out though. I had to have the car towed to the shop yet again. My kids were in school and I was supposed to be but the car wouldn’t start again. I sat at the mechanic’s while they worked on my car. I watched the receptionist leave the building, walk to her car, get in and drive away. And I cried. As the tears streamed down my face, I remember thinking, “She has no idea how lucky she is to have a car she can just get in and know it will start for her. She just takes it for granted.” At that time, I doubted I would ever be as lucky as she was. I had been months without a dependable car at this point.

I drove that car for about two years. Finished school, moved to where I still live today, started a new job, and as soon as I could replaced it. But in those two years, I had learned to drive that car up steep hills without backing down them and I could drive on busy streets too. I gained confidence in my ability to drive a stick shift. I survived all those times of having to have it towed. My kids and I were never in danger because it wouldn’t start, although I remember standing in the grocery store in below zero temps waiting for the tow truck. I learned I was tougher than I thought and I had a determination that amazes me today.

For my kids and me, those two cars bring back funny memories. Looking back at all the trouble I had with that Citation, all the tears, frustration, embarrassment and anger at the dealer who sold me that piece of junk, and the naïve fool I was to buy it, God still provided. He still made sure I had the transportation I needed to finish my degree, to move and to get a new job. He provided the funds I needed to keep it drivable.

I drove to my student teaching school every day in a crappy little car with no second gear. I drove it 100 miles to a new home. I drove it to and from work. Because that was God’s plan for me at that time. I didn’t see His provision and certainly didn’t rest in it. Looking back, I see how He did take care of us. If only I had seen it then. Instead of crying, maybe I would have just quietly sat at the mechanic’s doing homework, knowing the Lord had me covered. How much peace I could have had! With that peace probably would have come more laughter instead of tears.

Being able to see His provision back then helps me look for and see His provision today. He has a plan for each of us and within our plans, He always provides exactly what we need. We can rest in that. I can laugh knowing my junk car experience is a bump in the road, not the end of the road. Those bumps teach us to depend on God and trust that He cares enough to take care of us. I can look back and chuckle and say I hope to never again own a standard transmission vehicle and I can say it with a twinkle in my eyes and a smile. And I can know that if I ever have to drive one again, I CAN do it. God took a junk car experience and turned it into a learning and leaning opportunity with some humor added in.

So, what’s your junk car experience and how can you see God acting through and in it? Praise the Lord that He does.

Warrior: an experienced fighter, engages in warfare, shows great vigor, courage, or aggressiveness.

Queen: Of a particular activity, it means she is very good at it, preeminent.

I saw the following on facebook, not sure where, or who posted it so I can’t give credit to anyone, but I loved this quote:

The devil whispered in my ear, “you’re not strong enough to withstand the storm.” Today I whispered in the devil’s ear, “I am a child of God, a woman of faith, a warrior of Christ. I AM THE STORM.”

This quote speaks to me, it reminds me that in Christ, I am a warrior. I don’t have to be afraid of any storms. I can engage in warfare with the devil because Christ lives in me. My family is in a storm right now. But we are warriors. We fight fiercely with vigor and courage. We are NOT giving up.

We all fight so many battles in our daily life. We fight battles with our health, our relationships, our finances, and our emotional and spiritual lives. Giving in to worry is easy to do. I know because I do it all the time. Look at a battle and say, “Oh no, not again. I am powerless to fight another battle. I am worn out.” That is my temptation, give in and go under because, face it, life is hard.

We get sick. We are rejected, abused, betrayed, overworked and underappreciated. The list of bad things that can happen is about as long as there are people.

When we are given the worst diagnosis, we fight our battle in our body and in our mind. Our physical strength is sapped by our disease. Our mind is overwhelmed with fear and sorrow. That is exactly when we want to put on our spiritual armor described in Ephesians 6:13-18:

¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; ¹⁷ and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

Belt of Truth: God’s truth. The truth found in the Word of God, the Bible. The truth, if you have accepted Christ as your Savior, you are a child of God. You get your identity from Him. As a daughter of the King, satan cannot defeat you if you live in the truth of who you are and who God is. Lysa Terkeurst said the following: “God is good, God is good to me, God is good at being God.” That is our truth.

Breastplate of Righteousness: Right living, being grown into Christ-likeness.

Shoes of the gospel of peace: The good news of Christ’s gospel. Be ready to share it and stand firm in it.

Shield of Faith: Your shield protects you from the arrows of lies being shot at you from the devil. Your faith in the one true God, your belief that He loves you, all protect you. With faith, the lies fizzle out.

Helmet of Salvation: We have to put on our helmet of salvation. Knowing we belong to the Lord, knowing we have Him inside us, knowing he will never leave us, that is where we will get our strength from. Knowing we are His protects our thoughts from the lies. The helmet of salvation guards our minds.

Sword of the Spirit: the Bible is our offensive weapon. With the Word of God, we defeat satan and his lies. Satan cannot stay where the Word of God is being spoken. Evil cannot stay where GOOD abounds. Shout Scripture as your battle cry. Pray verses over your fear and pain. Pray in the Spirit, because He prays in ways we can’t even imagine. Romans 8:26 says: Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

My sister and I have given each other nicknames. She is the Warrior Queen and I am the Warrior Sister. My sister has fought so many battles with her health that she is really good at fighting. She exhibits a WARRIOR attitude even when not feeling good. She stays positive and she puts on her armor and fights. I fight my battles in my mind. PTSD, depression, anxiety, they are my enemies. I stand in my armor, with my God, fighting those battles.

Put on your armor and fight your battle. Be a warrior. Fight with vigor, strength, and courage because you don’t fight alone. The Triune God: Father God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, all fight with you and for you. Have faith knowing your truth is that no matter how your battle turns out, you will be with Jesus, either here on this earth or in heaven. Either way, as Paul said, you win. Fight your battle knowing that Jesus won the war. You are His prize and He covets you. Fight, Warrior Queen.

Do you ever despair at the events in the world we live in? Do you wonder where kindness and love have gone? I don’t watch the nightly news anymore. The negativity and hopelessness portrayed daily just increases my anxiety and depression.

But in the last few weeks, I have had my eyes opened to what I can do to better the world I am a part of. I can’t make the entire world better. But I can help improve the world I touch.

Improvement comes by seeing people again. We rush in our busy lives past hurting people desperate for someone to see them, to notice their pain, to acknowledge their existence. We might say a quick prayer as we rush by, and that’s good, but we keep going and move on to the next busy thing on our list.

Recently, I had a conversation with my sister who is gifted at seeing people. She was in the hospital after a tremendously difficult and painful surgery, barely able to walk due to weakness and pain. I asked her how the staff was treating her. She responded in her fragile voice that she felt bad for the nurses. The hospital was short staffed, and they were having to work double shifts. She could see their frustration and exhaustion on their faces and in their voices. While they helped her, she was trying to bring some joy to their lives by how she treated them. She was kind, made jokes so they could at least smile, and thanked them for their help. And she did it consistently for her week’s stay.

I am sure she left that hospital ward with nurses appreciating her as a patient and a person. She brought some sunshine into a hurting place.

I used to be like my sister. I used to see people and go out of my way to help them have a better day in some way. Life got in the way, as it does when we get too busy and too stressed, when we don’t intentionally take the time to see. I rush from place to place. It’s not that I live in my own world all the time. I help family. I help friends. I help at church. But in my busyness, and in my stress, I don’t see the pain in people’s faces anymore. I’m so focused on my next thing and on my own pain and stress that I’m missing life around me.

I read recently in a book about seeing people. And shortly after that, I listened to my sister talk about the nurses. I started taking stock of how I had seen people in the past. I used to send cards almost weekly to different people who were hurting in some way. I used to take a meal to someone who needed one. I used to call and encourage people who needed encouragement.

Seeing people helped me and it helped them. Somewhere along the way, I lost that seeing and the acting out of the seeing.

I can’t solve everyone’s problems. I probably can’t solve anyone’s problem, really. I can’t take away a friend’s cancer. I can’t bring back a lost loved one. I can’t make a hurting child’s world perfect. I can’t undo a car accident or the injuries that came from it. I can’t undo a school shooting.

I can do something for each of these though. I can reach out. I can listen. I can hear and see their pain. I can acknowledge that life isn’t good for them right now. I can let them know they don’t have to go through this trial alone. It might be a simple card from a stranger. Or a phone call to a friend. Or a financial gift to help with a burial. Even a simple smile, eye contact, and “thank you” can go a long way toward improving someone’s day.  I can offer hope in a hurting world. I can offer a bit of myself by seeing pain in someone else’s eyes and choosing to offer comfort instead of ignoring it.

That is how we can all improve the part of the world that we touch. We can show our love to the hurting and to the unseen in the city we live in. Face it, every single one of us has pain we are living with. Every single one of us could use hope. The cashier at Wal-Mart, the person next to you on the bus, the student who sits by you in class, we all can touch someone in our world for good.

Look around. Can you see at least one person who is not smiling, who has lost hope, who is obviously hurting, and can you brighten their day today? And can you see someone tomorrow and brighten their day? Be a ray of sunshine in a very dark world. Be the good. It will help you and it will help them and it will help your part of the world. Ripples in the tide start with one rock. Be the rock. Throw yourself into life by seeing people if you are not already doing so. I am going to.