Thankful ~ our van

Yet the Lord says, “During the forty years that I led you through the wilderness, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet. ^... I did this so that you might know that I am the Lord your God.”

~ Deuteronomy 29.5-6

We pray that our things will last. It's one way to be a good steward and have extra for the Kingdom.  Sometimes the Lord answers with a yes, sometimes with a no.  Our washing machine and our hot water heater went kaput, and even our windows are wearing out.  (We never buy extended warranties, but this time, Jim didn't waste a second buying an extended warranty on our new washing machine. Things just don't last like they used to.) 

It's nigh unto impossible now to buy a vehicle (new or used; car, van, tractor, or combine).  But God!!

Just before Christmas last year, I was sorting the mail and there was a flyer from the Honda dealer from whom we had purchased our van in July 2017, the van we hoped we would drive for 10 years, but the van that, just after we purchased it, we learned would be handling a 65 miles/ one way daily commute for LG's needs for what turned into almost 3 years.  

So, we had a 2.5 year old van with 115,000+ miles on it and some significant problems that we were avoiding fixing, as well as some major transmission issues on the horizon, and watching that 10 year dream disappear. 

And there in the mail was an ad, "Sell us your used van. We'll give you a good deal." I decided not to put it in the trash, and left it in the mail pile for Jim.  

He used his analytical business skills, called three dealers, and actually took the van to each of them.  They each test drove it (in its MESSY state with Christmas tree lights hanging along the ceiling!) and made him an offer.  

And he went with the best one.  I thought he was out doing some December 26th Christmas shopping, only to get a text, "What color van do you want?" :)

They practically GAVE a new van to us.  I'm sure they rue that day, because now their lot is almost empty and they can't find cars to sell to people.  

So, here we thought we were being good stewards to have a 10-year plan.  God interrupted that, with LG's schooling needs.  But then He interrupted it again, saying, "I'll start your 10-year plan over, before the shortages come, and I'll give this new van to you for a fraction of the price."  

We have friends with a similar story. A fender-bender during lockdown led to insurance replacing their hard-to-find van with an even better one, resetting their 10 year plan as well. 

He's not letting the sandals on our feet our van wear out!