Miracles

Written by cycleguy on January 29th, 2012

The year was 1982.  I seem to be able to remember it like it was yesterday.  We, as a family (girls age 7 and 3), had gone to a Christian family camp.  It was the first time we had ever camped in a tent.  That is a story in itself.  🙂  The last day of the camp was Friday morning.  Late Thursday afternoon a storm came through (they say it was the tail end of a tornado).  We were in a session with adults and the girls were with the kids program, and had actually been separated for class.  After the storm passed (it was ugly), we made our way quickly to where the kids were and found Tami.  Ever the diligent older sister, she was crying because she couldn’t find Janna.  We took her hand and found Janna with some adults,  a little scared but safe.  We went back to our canvas tent to find it soaked.  We made due for the night and the next morning pulled away.  I had 1/2 tank of gas to get us home, and due to some unexpected expenses, we had enough money to grab a snack breakfast.  The camp was easily 3-4 hours away and I began to pray: “Lord, I have 1/2 tank of gas left; some young children; and no money.  Please get us home.”  I was driving a 1980 Chevy Citation, loaded to the gills, and we made it all the way home.  THE GAS GAUGE NEVER MOVED!  I know, I know.  Some will read that with skepticism, but it is true.  The gauge never moved.

BUT. OUR. MIRACLE. TIME. WAS. NOT. OVER.

We knew we would be coming home to empty cupboards.   We unloaded and then I checked the mail that had come while we were gone.  I saw an envelope from a pastor/friend in Ohio.  Remember: this is August.  Enclosed was a check for $100 with a note: “Bill, I just found out that we never paid you for speaking at our Prayer Breakfast.  Find that check enclosed.  Forgive me for forgetting.”

Did I tell you the check came in August

Did I also tell you that I spoke at the Prayer Breakfast in December

Ask me if I believe in luck, chance or coincidence.  You would be better off asking me if I believe in prayer.  Jeremiah 33:3 says,  “Call to me and I will answer you, and tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”   God was big into show-n-tell during that stretch of our lives.  He can do show-n-tell any time He wants!  🙂

I used this story to close my sermon and the “Transformed by Prayer” series Sunday.  It is a lesson that I/we have never forgotten.  Have we worried since then?  Yes, I am ashamed to admit.  But God always pulls me back to that story.  He is in the “showing you great and hidden things” business.  How about you?  Has He done something amazing for you?  Why not share it with us? 

 

 

64 Comments so far ↓

  1. lindaM says:

    Hi Bill,
    That’s an awesome story of your family adventure and I definitely believe you. I’ve had some miracles occur in my family’s lives as well. It’s an awsome thing to behold and experience.
    You said,
    “showing you…..hidden things”

    My story today is about God showing me ‘hidden things’ recently about what had been going on in my 30+ marriage with my former husband and why it failed in divorce. I wasn’t able to articulate or explain to anyone who asked me why we had divorced. Even our own children could not have told anyone what had happened in our life and in our marriage. They simply didn’t know even though they had lived in the same house with us for years.

    I was curious and interested and and I believe God has helped me to understand some things better about what went on over the years.

    A couple of months ago I was doing some research on psycolgical symptoms and illnesses and I came across a website with an explanation of the
    ‘nice husband anxious wife syndrome’.
    I related well to the symptoms spoken about and explained on the website and I could fit in ‘puzzle pieces’ of my own situations and experiences as they were explained and outlined there by the author. The website also explained to me things that were highly likely to have been going on that I didn’t know about before but that I could remember things and see that my husband was likely doing these as well over the years.

    One thing the website did say was that there is a very low chance of someone with this mentalor psycological problem getting better especially after the person had been involved in living and doing these subtle and diabolical behaviors over decades of time.

    Surprisingly, I have more empathy for my former husband now, because I understand him better. I definitely wouldn’t trust him or gullibly believe everything that he says. He’s a extremely talented ‘con artist’ so to speak. What you think you see with him is not what you get.

    God is faithful, God is good, God is merciful.

    • cycleguy says:

      That is great Linda that God was able to give you some important insight into the situation with your former husband. Going through a divorce is never easy, but this does help a little in giving understanding to you and to others. My continued prayers for you. Thanks for the comment.

  2. Dan Black says:

    What an amazing story. I know you know what has been going on with me. My son who is 10 weeks old is able to come home in about 2 weeks, we are just waiting for him to bottle feed. So amazed at Gods love and power.

  3. Jon Stolpe says:

    I had an experience about a month ago when I woke up with excruciating pain in my right knee. I’m a runner, and I’ve always been warned about the knee problems that runners should expect, but this was different. This came on quite suddenly and was quite sharp and painful. I dealt with it for a day or so until I finally decided to pray about it (some last resort – huh?). Wouldn’t you know it? The morning I prayed about it, the pain was completely gone within an hour or so. I count it as a miracle!

    • cycleguy says:

      They come in all sizes, shapes and colors, Jon. That is cool to know God answered your prayers. As a cyclist, I know how important it is (and how much of a downer it is) to have a physical ailment. Thanks for sharing.

  4. The birth of Ethan is probably the biggest one. I cried yesterday sharing it.

    Man, He is good.

    • cycleguy says:

      As I recall, Michael, Ethan was not supposed to be. That is an awesome testimony to God’s goodness. Thanks for telling your story.

    • My kid’s birth was similar – a lot of complications and doctors telling us that he would have problems. But he’s perfectly healthy.

      • cycleguy says:

        that is good to hear Loren. Believe Michael and April were never supposed to be able to have children. I love it when God surprises people. 🙂 You can definitely understand what Dan & Ashley are going through.

  5. Jeff says:

    Are you saying you drove for hours and never burned any gas? Or that the gas gauge was broken?

    • cycleguy says:

      I drove for hours and the gas gauge never moved. And no, the gauge was not broke. My wife can vouch for it. I have explanation for it other than calling it a miracle.

      • jeff harris says:

        It seems pretty incredible. What would your explanation be?

        • cycleguy says:

          My explanation may not sit well with you Jeff but will give it. My explanation is God. I believe God intervened and did a miracle. It is something I certainly can take no credit for and have no other explanation for.

          • jeff says:

            It sits fine with me. I thought you ” I have explanation for it other than calling it a miracle.” I think you must have meant “NO” explanation other than….

            • cycleguy says:

              Thanks for the correction. Sometimes my fingers go faster than my brain. Wait…that happens a lot. 🙂

              • jeff says:

                So you drove for several hours and consumed no fuel. The gas gauge was functioning properly. I find that unbelievable. Did you have a mechanic verify this miracle? Extraordinary claims need extraordinary evidence.

                • cycleguy says:

                  Sorry Jeff. There are only two people, besides myself, who can verify. One (God) cannot be seen. The other, my wife, will concur. Miracles are just that…miracles. I can’t explain it. No one can. No one could explain the miracles Jesus did either but that didn’t mean they didn’t happen. I am not bragging about myself cuz it had nothing to do with me. I am bragging about the greatness of God, whose greatness goes far beyond my ability to understand or explain. I reckon this is one of those things that deals with faith and trust….in God…and in my character and integrity that I would not make up the story.

                  • jeff says:

                    I guess if you can drive a car for hours and not consume any fuel it would definately be a miracle. I think I might have checked to see if my guage was not functioning properly just in case. The NASCAR teams would love to have that happen to them.

  6. Moe says:

    A long time ago in a galaxy far far away (Brooklyn) I couldn’t go to church because I had no gas money. I stood home and hated it. Never told no one. A week later, pastor comes out of church and approaches me as I park my car and tells me “if you can’t come to church because you don’t have gas money, I’ll gladly pay for it”. I was blown away. Crazy. I was a new convert and he wanted me to partake of the studies we were having in Church.

  7. Craig says:

    Great faith story!
    I’ve been with Saul at football practice as his asthma kicks up. Of course I didn’t have his inhaler and his asthma is in full force. I was trying to get him to focus on me and to breath deep (kids tend to panic when their asthma stirs) and one of the football parents comes over with an inhaler! Saul took a puff but was still struggling. I took him to the car – laid my hand on his chest and prayed over him. By the time we got home there was no more pain and Saul was breathing normal! I’ve used that story with Saul several times to remind him that God is with him always.

  8. I’ve been in the middle of nowhere running on fumes praying that I would have enough gas to get to a station – and I made it.
    There’s really no super obvious miracle that stands out to me, but just a lot of providence and blessing. Mainly it’s been the “coincidences” that were just too perfect.

  9. Last year I receive a tax notice from the IRS for $8,000. I called them and got it straigtened out but it wouldn’t go away. Until I prayed about it. Two days later I got a notice that it was ok.

  10. I love hearing stories like this, Bill. Thanks so much for allowing us to get in on your experience and witness what God has done.

  11. floyd says:

    I love stories that show power of God in our lives. I’ve been bailed out so many times by God and can’t even recount all of them and yet I’m still prone to worry. My wisdom tells me the truth, my flesh screams to me lies. Our flesh will deceive us every time. If God is in control and knows the outcome of all things, why do we worry so much? Especially having been witnesses to His miracles in our lives. I take some comfort in the fact that even Elisha worried for his life. If he could worry after delivering the news and wrath of God through himself, what chance do we have?

    • cycleguy says:

      i wish I could say I never had another financial concern/worry but I would be lying. 🙂 But I love telling and hearing stories like that because they show how God comes through. Thanks floyd the reminder about elisha.

  12. Tammy says:

    Good post today! And good comments! Testimony from others of God’s mercy and provision and guidance and healing…. Definitely a great way to start the week!

    In 1982,may mom was experiencing some serious “womanly problems”. She had been to several doctors and had tried different meds and was being sent to a specialist.
    I was a teen at the time. Several of our prayer warrior friends had a time of prayer for healing over her while we were on a Lay Witness Mission. At her follow-up appointment with the doctor the next week, we found out my mom’s suspected tumor turned out to be my baby brother. And he’s pretty awesome!

  13. I’ve seen and witness God’s power many times but always I’m left awestruck by the experience.
    Thanks for sharing a powerful story of provision and God’s faithfulness.

    For me the greatest miracle is God rescuing a young boy from an abusive home and blessing him with the wife of his dreams and a family that is more than he deserves…of course…that would be me.

    • cycleguy says:

      Oh man, Jay, what a story you have! I would love to hear it in total some day. I, too, am left awestruck by stories of God’s power. Thanks for coming by.

  14. Zee says:

    Wow, so many stories! Thank you for this post, Bill, because it does make us, readers, think what God has done in our lives. And when we stop and think about it – WOW. It’s awesome (in the full sense of that word).

    My presence in this world is a miracle for me because I wasn’t expected. Back in those days, mom wasn’t a Christian and she wasn’t married when she got pregnant with me. But although I’ve been a surprise kid, I was blessed with a family who made me feel wanted (which was way better than simply to be expected).

    Another miracle happened when I was three. My cousin (she was 15 at that time) and I got sucked into a swamp. It was at our summer house and the time of year was sometime around May. Back then it was a middle of nowhere and while there were people in summer, there were almost no one during the other months. Somehow my cousin managed to keep our heads above the bog and we yelled for help, yet there wasn’t anyone… Until two men appeared from seemingly nowhere (in my childish mind, I kept thinking they were hunters, for some reason – maybe because there was a forest nearby and I liked reading fairy tales where hunters were the supermen of old days) and they got us out. One of my shoes is still buried somewhere inside the bog there.

    • cycleguy says:

      You’re welcome Zee1 I love hearing stories that people have to share, especially when they are about God coming through. Didn’t know that story about your mom. That is so cool she kept you. My life would be much poorer if she hadn’t. Thanks for the “bog story” also. That is so cool those guys appeared out of nowhere.

      • Zee says:

        Yeah – I find it odd that I can remember it so vividly (taking into account that I was 3), but those guys certainly were right on time. I wish I could meet them one day and say thanks.

        • cycleguy says:

          Who knows? Maybe you will. Maybe they were angels in street clothes. God had a plan for you lil sis. I, for one, am glad of it. 🙂

  15. Jim F says:

    Great story – I honestly have many of them. One quick one is that we were moving to another state for me to go to Seminary and leaving a church I had worked for around 4 and 1/2 years. We were moving on faith and did not explain to others that we did not have the money to move. I had rented the Uhaul and told my wife that I believed God would provide. We as we put our last box in the Uhaul had a family drive up and say that they felt God speaking to them and then handed us an envelop. When we opened it – there was enough money to pay for the uhaul and for the first months rent on our new apartment. We did not tell anyone we needed money or that we did not have enough to pay the first month of rent or even for the Uhaul but God provided. This is just one of many stories like this…

    Thanks Bill for sharing this!

    • cycleguy says:

      Reminds me, Jim, of George Mueller’s story of never asking for anything but always having it provided.

      sorry this was so late in being here. For some reason it went to spam. Go figure. Garbage gets through but good stuff doesn’t.

  16. Larry Hughes says:

    Bill:

    Certainly concise evidence that God does work miracles in these times.

    Your miracles did not surprise me at all. God still works miracles despite the naysayers claims. I have experienced God’s miracles many times in my life and those of others.

    He is faithful to those that are faithful to Him.

    All we have to do is earnestly ask in prayer and He will provide for our deserved needs.

    • cycleguy says:

      I know you know of what I speak larry. Your own health issue is testimony to that. Thanks for commenting and reinforcing God’s goodness.

      • Larry Hughes says:

        Bill I have had a few miracles throught out my life. Prostate cancer that wasn’t there when the surgery was done to remove it, Dodging bullets from a drug crazed addict caught shoplifting and the most recent one. Cancer in the liver that turned out to be only abcesses and infection when the Biopsy was done.

        What was more amazing was witness to the healings of others through God’s grace and prayers.

  17. Jan says:

    Bill, your story is awesome and the others are too! I don’t believe in coincidences, I like to call them Godincidences 🙂 God has done so many miraculous things in my life, but the one I hold dearest to my heart(May 27, 1997) is when my son James, who was 6 at the time fell underneath the riding lawnmower. My oldest son was 13 at the time & had just started mowing, when James was running behind, slipped & fell right underneath. I had just stepped inside the house to check on my other 3 children so I didn’t witness this, but I ran back outside as soon as I realized the mower had suddenly stopped. We lived way out in the country, no neighbors close for me to call, long story short….after James was airlifted to Methodist in Indy, the Drs. told us James main blood vessel was “kinked” and if it hadn’t been kinked, he would have bled to death! The emt’s could not remove the blade,(they tried) so James arrived at Methodist hospital with the blade still in his foot. After 13 surgeries to repair his foot(he lost his ankle)we were told he would never be able to run & that he would walk with a limp. After spending a summer at that hospital, and other countless surgeries at the wonderful Shriners Hospital in St. Louis, the next summer James was 7, he was not only able to walk without a limp, he got to play coach pitch baseball again and he RAN every base!! He had a brace, but he hit the ball & made a home run! It makes me cry just thinking about the miracle of God’s healing on our sweet James. Nobody will ever convince me that God did not save my son’s life. HE did!

    • Zee says:

      Drs. told us James main blood vessel was “kinked” and if it hadn’t been kinked, he would have bled to death! – how often what would normally be viewed as a problem actually have a potential to save our life? Thank God for His power of healing!

    • Susan says:

      There are things that have happened in my life that I attribute to the hand of God. I don’t know if I would call them miracles. My son was the only one of our three kids who arrived before his due date. When his head arrived, the doctor got busy really fast to deliver him quickly. He had his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck three times. If he had gone to term (or past as his sisters did) we could very easily have lost him.

    • Susan says:

      Jan, that is amazing. What a wonderful gift from God. I loved reading your story.

  18. Jan says:

    I must also add that James is now almost 22 and he does not have a limp. The only thing he experiences is arthritic pain during the winter months, which we were told was to be expected the older he gets. Thank you God!

    • cycleguy says:

      Oh man Jan! I remember those times. The number of trips to Indy for surgeries and visits. My Passat got a workout. No doubt in mind that James is a testimony to God’s healing and goodness. I have often wondered how he is doing with it. If I remember the doc also said the growth plate was affected. Thank you God for sure! Glad you shared that story. 😛

      • Jan says:

        That is correct Bill. The growth plate in that foot was taken out in the accident, so we had to make the decision to stop the growth plate in his other foot or admit him to Shriners for 9 months for a very painful bone stretching devise…we opted for taking out the growth plate on the other foot, which was NOT an easy decision. Drs. said James would lose about 1″ of height, he stands at 5’8″ tall today, which is pretty darn good! 🙂 And, I will never forget the trips you made and all your prayers & support Bill. (thank you for the comment Zee & Susan) 🙂

        • cycleguy says:

          For some reason I missed the part of taking out the plate from the other foot. But it was a wise choice for his future. 5’8″ dwarfs you! (You can beat me up later). 🙂

  19. I have no trouble believing every word, Bill! God has done so many incredible things. I wish I could say too that worry had no place in my life, but I truly do believe that it’s lessening. I’m thankful to see how God comes through so miraculously and thankful that my kids get to be part of it as well. Thanks for sharing this.

    • cycleguy says:

      Thanks for taking the time out of your Japanese excursion to visit Jason. I know this trip is just one way God has intervened in your life. Thanks for being an example of God’s work.

  20. Tami Grandi says:

    and people wonder why I despise camping with a passion???

    Seriously- there are so many that I could into but I think for me it’s been watching the faith and lives of this amazing family (happens to be my landlord’s family)

    http://rabyramblings.blogspot.com/

    For those reading the comments- to understand where I am coming from you have to start here: http://rabyramblings.blogspot.com/2011/07/ethans-story.html

    here: http://rabyramblings.blogspot.com/2011/08/normal.html

    here: http://rabyramblings.blogspot.com/2011/12/biopsy-results.html

    and the most recent: http://rabyramblings.blogspot.com/2012/01/divine-intervention.html

    Now, for a little back story- these 2 year olds were born at 25 weeks. The mom had SEVERE pre-clampsia (spelling) and was touch and go for a while. Their journey is an amazing story of watching God work. Tomorrow (Tuesday, 31st) Addison will have surgery to repair a hole in her heart. Here’s the post on that: http://rabyramblings.blogspot.com/2012/01/matters-of-heart.html

    I know it’s a lot- but it’s well worth a read 🙂

    • cycleguy says:

      It is worth the read as Tami has kept us posted on the twins’ journey. This young couple is a testimony of trust and faithfulness to a God who never abandoned them.

  21. Ed says:

    Bill, as incredible as it may sound (even to me, and I know God’s miracles), after 35 or so years, God may be showing me my amazing future wife. I’m keeping my hopes alive and open here. 🙂

  22. Jon says:

    Loved this post, and loved reading the comments.

    I started thinking about my drives to and from college. When I was in school, I was a 3 hours away from home. It’s not a bad drive, but sometimes I can get sleepy. I look on those drives, and see God’s hand. He kept me safe during all those drives.

    • Ed says:

      Me too Jon. I remember once or twice heading home and waking up just as I was approaching one particular stop sign.