just one more day

I have more things to do today than I can even count, but I couldn't resist taking a few minutes to post what seems to be an answer to prayer.

By this time tomorrow morning, our family will be headed south to the gulf coast, in a rented vehicle, where we will complete the paperwork to purchase a van that we have never seen, but have committed to buy.

The reasoning for this is simple ... our old van needs a new transmission, which costs roughly the same amount as the thing would be worth if it was in really good condition other than the transmission problem ... but that isn't the case. It has been a good vehicle, but the time has come to say goodbye and move on to the not-so-simple search for a newer vehicle.

We thought it would be a fairly simple process, but let me tell you ... we were wrong! We have been praying for a month that God would lead us to the vehicle we needed. And during that month we have been driving my parents' 1992 Mazda Protege ... a little small for 5 people, but we have managed, even without air conditioning during an extremely hot June here. While we were open to whatever option God placed before us, we still had certain expectations of what we thought we needed. Apparently, God not only had a different understanding of what we need, He also has a sense of humor.

The van we are buying is the same make and model as the one we currently have ... the one we said we had NO desire to own again. It is also older than we thought we would buy and it is the color I said emphatically that I did not want.

So, why are we buying it?

Because when presented with two options, we felt that this one is the one that is the answer to our month long prayer.

So, barring any further surprises, we will drive home on Sunday in our brand new (to us, anyway) van. Complete with air conditioning, including rear air, which will make the kids happy, a working transmission and a working radio ... which I haven't had in about 7 years ... and all I can say is Thank you, Lord.

And I can learn to like white!

PS ... just so you don't think we are completely crazy for buying a vehicle that we haven't seen ... Ronnie's mom has seen it and driven it and we are buying it from the dealer where she bought her last vehicle. We may be a little nuts, but not completely crazy ... yet!