Sunday, August 22, 2010

God's Provision or "How Twitter Failed me"

Recently I had a load that took me to Nashville to load 500 Guitars from Gibson. On the way to Nashville I noticed my voltage meter was low. Like on 12 volts. It normally runs at 14 volts so I knew my alternator had quit working.. I noticed this in Calhoun Georgia. about 180 miles from Nashville.. I had a plan, It was very important that I make my appointment for 6pm at Gibson, I would continue my trip to Nashville and get an alternator from the Freightliner dealer, take my break and replace it. Sounds like a good plan. Right?

Well Freightliner didn't have an alternator in Nashville, but the dealer in Chattanooga did and it was 352.26. I had been running on battery alone for 3 hours now, so I was wary of driving on the batteries all the way back to Chattanooga, a good 2 hour ride at best. Freightliner closed at midnight. it was now 8pm.
I send out a Tweet, I need a ride to Chattanooga and back, I have gas money.. just need a ride.
I get alot of re-tweets cause my twitter network is awesome, but alas re-tweets is all I get.
So I make a decision. I will have to drive back to Chattanooga, so i set out on my way.. I get halfway there and it gets too dark to drive with out lights, so I am forced to cut the lights on. This puts a drain on the batteries even more about 20 minutes from the Dealer in chattanooga I hit some construction and its stop and go traffic. Everytime I hit the brakes the lights flicker and the warning buzzer tells me "Low voltage", Like I dont know already.. but then I'm 10 miles from the parts dealer and the truck completely dies...in the middle of Interstate 24 Milemarker 181.
It is 11pm, I have an hour to get to the parts counter, I try not to panic. I let the truck roll backwards and I guide it onto the shoulder out of traffic as best I can, I set out my Triangle Markers and with a flashlight in my mouth I start to remove the Alternator.. I finally get it off. Its 11:30 I have some Twitter friends that live in Cleveland Tn about 30 miles away so I tweet again.. I'm stranded.. need a ride.. No answer.. well I'm not gonna be able to make it by midnight walking so I climb in the bunk and go to bed.
THAT IS WHERE TWITTER FAILED ME.. THIS IS WHERE GOD DID NOT..

I wake up at 530am.. I ready myself to walk the 10 miles.. so with alternator under my arm I start walking down the interstate, Thumb out. A truck pulls over, I run up glad to get a ride, only to find out that the woman driving didnt even see me hitching a ride. She had run out of Gas.. I explain my situation and tell her that I have a gas can in my rig. I will walk back get the can.. buy some fuel off the exit and bring her gas if she can give me a ride. She agrees. As Im walking back to my rig a D.O.T rescue truck pulls up behind her and gives her 2 gallons of gas and she gets me and we go.. well she runs a "break truck" stopping at work sites and sells sandwiches and drinks, etc. She tells me that she will get me to where I need to be, but, she is on a schedule. LOL. Folks I end up riding with her for 4 hours.
I had an opportunity to talk to her about family,life and more importantly Jesus.
She finally gets me to the Dealer at 10am.
Do you think she just ran out of gas by accident? I think God sent her there just at the right time.
I walk inside to buy the alternator. the one for 352.26 well guess what its only 241.50.. I save over 100 bucks. I am blessed. I walk out the door to a gas station on the corner and there waiting for me is a Church Van from Ormond Beach Florida. They Give me a ride back to my rig and I put the alternator on. but the Batteries are too dead to turn the truck over.. After a half an hour of trying with a car to jump start.. a roadside rescue truck pulls up and they have the 24 volts jumper. sure they can jump start me.. but its 85 dollars plus Tax.

Isn't God Good?
I only had 375 dollars to begin with, I saved over 100 on the alternator and here the money saved is paying for the jump start.
God provided the rides to and back and the money for the jump start.

Oh and by the way.. the Twitter friends that lived locally.. tweeted me around 10 am saying they couldnt help me ..thats okay..

God Always Has My back..

Trey

2 comments:

  1. wow! God is good...so did the warehouse still unload you when you got there? I think God reminds us that HIM and only HIM is our provider and Savior...sorry twitter failed you, but Ecstatic at how GOD never does!

    Darla

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  2. Trey, I am SO glad you decided to share this with the world at large. So often, even those of us who believe can lose sight of the truth of God's "always on time" provision. Love you bro!

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