Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you

2 Chronicles 20:17

We have so often taken for granted the many promises of our God. Promises of peace when trials come. Promises of joy through Jesus when tears begin to flow. Promises of provision when needs arise that we cannot meet ourselves. All of these promises will be fulfilled when we simply come to the end of ourselves and look to the Giver of the promises. 

Over the past several months we have learned so much about our Savior, His faithfulness, and His peace. At the end of September, we were coming back from a meeting in Richmond, VA, when we lost a bearing in our axle. This resulted in the hub shaking loose, the tire blowing up, the steel wheel flying through the side and back wall of the RV, and irreparable axle damage when it hit the pavement. Many times, when something like this happens, it can easily result in flipping the trailer or, at the very least, a wreck. But praise the Lord! There was no wreck and no one was injured. 

From the moment of the incident, it was evident that the Lord was in control. Within seconds, a state trooper, who was on his way to a meeting, was on the scene. He radioed for the Virginia DOT and they arrived within five minutes. After a long series of events, the Lord led us to a kind business owner who let us leave the RV in his lot until a new axle could be shipped from California to replace the damaged one. 

After four weeks of waiting for the axle to be shipped and installed, we were finally able to haul the trailer back to our home base in Ohio. However, after dropping it off at the auto body shop, we discovered that the original insurance adjuster did not have access to the correct RV repair calculations. In other words, the cost required to repair the RV would be thousands more than the original adjustment.

Over the next few months, we waited for the insurance to decide whether they would repair the RV or consider it a total loss. Meanwhile, we continued to travel from Michigan to North Carolina and many states in between. During those meetings, the Lord provided hotels for us to stay in, and when not in meetings, our family allowed us to stay in their guest rooms. Dealing with the uncertainty of whether we would actually get our home back left us wondering what God was doing. What was His plan in all of this? What was He trying to teach us?

Finally, in December, our insurance decided they were considering the trailer a total loss. Now it was time to move all of our belongings out of our RV, store them, and begin looking for a replacement RV. We looked at several used fifth-wheels in Ohio and the surrounding states and after several weeks the Lord led us to the exact RV He wanted us to have! 

After three months of being without a trailer, God provided…ABOVE all we could ask or think (Ephesians 3:20)! This gift from God is five years newer than our previous trailer. It also has a rear bedroom and bathroom for Audrey, who used to sleep in our living room. On top of all the blessings of our new home, God supplied the exact funds we needed to purchase the trailer and it is paid-in-full!

Throughout all of this, God has not only provided but He has proved Himself again and again. The entire situation, from incident to outcome, was out of our hands. He showed His abundant peace when we did not know where to turn. He showed His power to overcome the daily temptations of discouragement. He showed His provision by supplying the need when we had nothing to offer. And He showed His person when we chose to depend on Him completely (2 Chronicles 20:17).

It has been thrilling to see what God has already done this year. He has given us a new trailer, kept us safe in our travels from Ohio, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Illinois, and worked mightily in the services. We thank you for your constant prayers and financial support and ask the Lord to bless you and use you mightily as you serve Him.