Leaking Radiator

 

In 1988 I had a Sunday meeting in Ozark, Alabama to share my ministry for Romania.  But I had a radiator leak in the old Buick station wagon that I was driving.  So, I filled up five empty milk jugs with water, loaded up my slide projector and slides, and took off for Alabama.  Things went fine … for a while.  I drove along, seeing a wisp of water vapor every once in a while reminding me that things weren’t as calm as I was pretending them to be.  When the temperature gauge began to climb, I pulled over on the side of the interstate and filled the radiator with water.  When I used the last jug, I pulled off at the next exit to fill the radiator and refill the five gallon jugs with water.  But the stops became more frequent as the leak grew.  After a particularly long stretch of desolate road, I had used the last of the water jugs and it had been some time since I had seen an exit sign.  As the temperature gauge began to rise, I topped a hill and saw an exit.  I was able to coast down the ramp into a little town.  Just across from the first intersection was a radiator shop.  The owner was working that Saturday and agreed to fix the leak.  My old Buick had a solid tin/brass radiator that could be re-soldered.  In one hour, I was on my way with no leak.  What a relief!  As my Granny Whitely used to say, “There’s no shame in being poor; it’s just inconvenient.”  David said in Psalm 37:25, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”  I miss those days when I was so foolish and so poor that God had to take care of me.  Well, I miss parts of those days.  But God has been so good to this old man that I couldn’t begin to thank Him.  Hey, I think I’ll just get on my knees and thank Him again right now.  Won’t you join me?  Let’s thank the dear Lord for His goodness to us over the years.