I own an older model car. It’s not much to look at but it gets from point A to point B and back again. That is until one Sunday after church…
On September 8th, I was on my way home after a very good church service. I live about 23 miles or so from my church, and I got about half-way home when my car started acting up. The warning light that says Safe Mode came on. I pull over, shut my car off and restarted it. My car did this same thing a few years ago, and I had to have the throttle body replaced at the time. As I pulled back onto the road to continue on home, the check engine light came on again, and my car would barely move. I was able to get it the few feet to a road where I would be safely off the highway.
I called my insurance company. I have emergency road side service so I knew I could get it towed home, since there isn’t a repair shop open on Sunday. While talking to my insurance agent, she told me I have one break down tow allowed on my insurance. So, not thinking about how to get it to the repair shop the next day, I had it towed home.
On Monday I called the repair shop and he said he would come get it after he closed the shop, but it would cost me $50 up front. With me living on disability, it is hard for me to have to come up with extra money. I decided to call my insurance company again. I talked to a really nice lady who did some checking. She told me that since it was on the week end, they would have it towed to the repair shop at no extra charge to me. God was all over that. And it was just the beginning.
That afternoon the mechanic called and told me the throttle body was bad. He said it would cost over $1000 to fix it. I told him it was replaced a couple years ago. He told me that he would try to clean it and see if that helped.
On Tuesday the mechanic called again. He said my car was done. When I asked him how much he said $71.41. I had sent out texts to my church prayer group when all of this started. I now sent out a text to update everyone. Before I knew it, a young couple who live the same town I do sent a text back that they were going to pay for it. God was all over this too.
A friend’s son who calls me Grandma went to pick it up for me on Wednesday evening. He got about 3 blocks from my apartment and it went into safe mode again. I was talking to my neighbor. She told me about a mechanic she takes her car to here in town. She gave me his card. I looked at the card and realized I knew this young man. He used to date a friends oldest daughter about 15 years ago.
I called this mechanic, Cody, and told him who I was. He remembered me. He came and got my car. He checked it out the next day. He said it was the throttle body. He told me if he ordered it Friday it would cost $600, but if I could wait until Monday he could get the part for $130. Needless to say, I waited.
Tuesday morning Cody called and told me my car was done. I asked him how much I owed him. He told me nothing. I protested with him but he said no. He told me it was repayment for being so kind to him all those years ago. He took my car for a drive after fixing it and discovered it was misfiring. He changed out a bad spark plug coil and also did not charge me for it.
God gave me so much in such a short time. He proved himself strong in my life in a very short time. He took what was supposed to be over $1000 bill to me owing nothing. I sowed seeds of kindness and love 15 years ago to a young man who needed it, and it came back years later. That proves to me that there is no expiration date on kindness sowed.
By Kathy Keller
Answers2Prayer Volunteer
(To access the entire “There is ALWAYS Hope” devotional series, please click here.)