God Is A Car Guy

Alright. I have rediscovered my blog and I am making my return. I haven't posted since last September (blowing the dust off my screen as though I've found my old blog in the attic). Kelly has been posting some great stuff and I feel the need to get back to it. I wanted to share with everyone the experience we had at the first annual DadFest Car Show at our church. First things first...confession. I doubted. I was very concerned that this event would not work out, especially at 10:00 a.m. when it was scheduled to begin and we only had one car there (not including our members...thanks Vance and Rick). I must also confess that I doubted so much that I took things into my own hands and began "working" the issue. Calling around and finding out who, what, when, where and why. It was a test of my faith and I went down in flames. One hour later, I was all "God is awesome!!" But, between you, me and the world...I had an early moment of "this event isn't going to happen." On the way home, after an amazing event with life changes happening...I literally slapped my own face, looked up to God and said..."There. I did it for you."

Okay, with that said I do have a story to tell. At the event, I went to say hello to a couple that came by to see the show. Joanne brought Brian as a surprise. She saw in the paper that his favorite car EVER (1966 Shelby GT 350) was going to be there. We talked for a while and they were very nice people. We spoke of our church and they expressed thanks for holding the event. We talked of church pasts and I encouraged them to feel free to explore the campus and go inside if they'd like. "No...I'm not dressed for church." a humble Joanne replied. "It's not about your clothes," I said, "God doesn't care what you're wearing and neither do we. It's about you being here." After that, we talked for a little while longer and they went on their way looking at cars. Around an hour later I was wondering around the event and Joanne and Brian flag me down. "I'd like to ask you if I can get your phone number." Brian said. "Sure." I replied, with curiosity. It seems Brian and Joanne did go inside our church. They listened to Matt (our preacher) on the monitors and spoke with people inside for a few minutes. They walked out of the building with new friends, some excitement and a new, plastic wrapped bible in hand. They found me to ask if they could have my phone number in case they had questions. "It's been a long time." Brian said, "and I know I'll have a lot of questions when I read this over. Can I call you?"

Well, it turns out that God had several reasons for having Brian and Joanne at DadFest. Two days later I got a call from Joanne. She was in tears and wanted to ask if we would be willing to pray for them. Brian's brother, in a Michigan ICU, was dying of kidney failure and Brian got the call to come and say goodbye. She asked for prayers regarding many important things related to this situation.

When I look back, I'm in awe of God. You see, He used a car to bring them to a church. It was not a accident that it was Brian's favorite car at the center of our show. Or, that it was mentioned in the paper Joanne read. Or, that we had a chance to meet and talk for a while. Or, that they got a bible and wanted a phone number for help. Or, that she felt comfortable calling me (after getting to know me ever so briefly). Or, that Brian was seeking, for the first time in years, to get closer with God. No...God brought them to DadFest because he knew that in a few days, they'd need a phone number to call, courage to share their faith with a dying brother and a church family to lean on during this time.