The Jesus-Mobile

God can sometimes use the vehicles we drive in various ways to teach us valuable lessons. Our vehicle usually has a lot of bumper stickers and signs promoting Jesus and our faith. My husband particularly likes putting these signs on the car.

One day, my sons came home from school. They were really laughing hard about something so I inquired as to what it was. Then they began to tell us that some of the students in their classes called our vehicle “The Jesus-Mobile” because of all the signs and stickers on it. Thus, I will name this page ‘The Jesus-mobile’ because it contains stories about our vehicles and how God has used them.

The original Jesus-mobile was a charcoal gray Chevrolet S-10 Blazer with custom striping on it. Now we drive a Toyota. But I will always remember that day when my sons called our vehicle ‘The Jesus-mobile.’

The Jesus-Mobile

“Thump, thump, thump,” the vaguely familiar sound suddenly came from our charcoal colored Chevrolet S-10 Blazer as my husband and I were traveling down the road to one of our local shopping malls. While going along, we were singing praise choruses. At first we didn’t recognize the sound but soon realized we ran over something and our tire was going flat. My husband, Steve, a disabled veteran who can’t drive because of his disability, was not very happy about the prospect of having to change a flat tire.

Our Blazer was covered with Christian bumper stickers that projected messages such as “turn or burn” to anyone who got close enough to read them. Also, my husband had put big luminous letters which read “Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life” on the bug deflector that went across the front of the vehicle. Because of this, several teenagers from our local high school teased our boys and called our Blazer “the Jesus mobile.” We also got strange looks from people who passed by.

As the thumping noise continued, we realized we were only a short distance away from our local Tire Repair Center. I slowed the vehicle down until we were barely moving and we quickly rolled into the tire center. Seeing our dilemma, the tire center employees were quick to assist us, and our tire was quickly fixed.

Curious as to what caused our tire to go flat, I asked the man about it. He kind of chuckled and said, “You ran over the sole of a shoe on the highway.” Then he showed us the shoe sole with nails protruding from it.

My husband and I looked at each other and both had similar thoughts at the same time. Then I said, “Oh, no, the Jesus mobile just ran over a soul!” We burst out laughing. Then we got in the Blazer and continued on our way. We realized at that moment that God must have a sense of humor!

Interruption or Intervention?

One day, as I was driving through town, the whole muffler fell off of our car and it was extremely loud! I knew I had to have it fixed. At first I was very annoyed at the whole situation, but I came to understand that God had a purpose in my inconvenience.

After I told my husband about the muffler falling off of our vehicle, he called a local muffler repair shop and made an appointment for me to have the car fixed. My husband can’t drive because of his medical disabilities so I had to take the car to get it fixed.

The muffler shop happened to be located across the street from a little cafe. For the lack of anything better to do while I waited for the car, I went to the little cafe to get a cup of coffee and read a newspaper.

Not long after I sat down with my coffee, the wife of a former pastor came in to the cafe. I happened to know that she had recently lost her husband. I knew the Pastor and his wife from previous years of interacting with them in my parent’s office supply store.

As the Pastor’s wife entered the cafe, I could see her downcast face and tears welling up in her eyes. Suddenly I understood why the Lord had allowed my muffler to fall off. He wanted me to spend time talking with this pastor’s wife and encouraging her.

I invited this elderly Pastor’s wife to sit with me. She got some coffee and came and sat at the table with me. We reminisced about old times and she poured out her heart to me. I tried to encourage her with the encouragement God had given me. Before she left that cafe, we were both laughing and having fun conversing about the times when God had intervened in our lives.

I learned a valuable lesson that day! What I thought was an inconvenience turned out to be God’s divine appointment for me. I felt ashamed for complaining and asked God to forgive me for it. Though things may seem to be an annoyance at times, they can be orchestrated by God to help someone else.

When I get depressed from time to time, I turn on some Christian praise music because it reminds me of who God is and the blessings He has given me. If I start singing with the music and praising God, soon my depression goes away!

The Sewing Machine

One summer my parents came to visit us. By this time our grey Chevy S-10 Blazer was 13 years old. We had driven it all of these years because we couldn’t afford to get a new vehicle. The engine had thrown a rod and we had taken it to a local repair shop to have it rebuilt. However, the repair job didn’t last long and the rod began making a clicking noise, like a sewing machine sounds when someone is working with it.

During their visit, my parents saw the old gray blazer. They also heard the noise coming from the engine. My parents tried to get us to buy another used vehicle but we couldn’t afford another payment. 

My mother commented that she bet the old blazer wouldn’t make it another year.

I told my mom that God would provide for us and we would get by because He knew and met our needs. A few days later my parents returned to their home.

The following summer my parents came for another visit. The old gray Blazer was still going and still making the noise like a sewing machine. I told my mother that it was still going, even though she bet me it wouldn’t last that long.

During this visit my parents took my husband and I down to a Toyota and bought us a used Toyota SUV. This Toyota lasted us quite a while and was still running when we sold it because my parents had purchased a newer Toyota Rav 4. They decided to buy this Rav4 because Steve and I were having trouble getting around and getting up into the SUV due to health issues.

I am grateful for my parents and the help they have given us over the years!