A Thankful Heart

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A Thankful Heart

I suppose there is no way around it. Our visits to Cedar Creek will, for the foreseeable future, bring bus problems to the forefront of our minds. I am sure that will fade with time, but not enough time has passed just yet. Last year's bus difficulty as we tried to leave Cedar Creek is still fresh in our memory.

Also fresh in our memory are the many ways that God broke through the barrier and helped us at every turn. Number one on the list in chronological order is the peace of God that covered us when the bus would not start. Keep in mind, we were only two weeks removed from a two week breakdown in Texas that cost us a canceled revival, stressful times and mucho dollars, yet God saturated us with His peace that very morning when it would not start again.

That Friday morning at Cedar Creek, I came inside after 3.5 hours of trying to diagnose the problem and posted an update on our Mile Markers. I went back and read it for the first time yesterday and I am amazed at the calm God allowed to settle down around us and in us.

Here is the update I added that morning:

No Ellisville, Mississippi yet today. Whatever has been the intermittent problem with the BoggsMobile, is no longer intermittent. The bus did not, would not and still has not started this morning as of 10:30 AM. We tried to crank about 7:00 and have been working on it since then. It turns over fine, but no joy. 

It is a good thing our JOY is not based on engines that run. Some of the best minds I know are working on it and Bro. Nicholson from Richton is going to try to come see about it later today. For now, we wait and pray. 

We are thankful for several specific things concerning this today.
-We are in a safe place and not on the side of the road or blocking a lane on a country road between here and Ellisville.
-We have knowledgeable and skillful friends that are willing to guide us and help us all they can.
-We have a home full of love and grace and we are not falling apart, throwing accusations or devouring one another. It is downright peaceful in here.
-The more I list the things we have to be thankful for, the more thankful I become.

Woo Hoo! Hallelujah! I remember the awful feeling of the bus not starting and the awful "what ifs" that began bombarding my mind, but I also remember the Holy Ghost helping us, comforting us, guiding us and carrying us! It was a horrible day and it was a wonderful day!

Let me recount some of the glorious things that God aligned perfectly for us that day and the whole next week.

-Our dear friend in Tennessee, Jeff Rowe, the owner of East Tennessee Luxury Coach, stood shoulder to shoulder with us and continually offered a steady hand from afar through every step of the way. What an amazing friend Jeff is!

-Brad Nicholson, who we knew casually from Bro. Scott Morris' church, stepped up in a big way to help me for many hours Friday, all day Saturday and then three or four more days the next week. He worked diligently and consistently diagnosing, replacing parts and making over two hour round trips to Cedar Creek and he did it all with a smile.

Brad Nicholson applied his expertise and knowledge to this bus situation and ultimately repaired it after days of all of us banging our head against the proverbial wall. I will never be able to thank him enough.

-Pastor Scott Morris and his now son in law, Brandon, came and spent the whole day Saturday working in any way they could. Bro. Scott prayed for us and rallied his church to pray for us and they help us in so many ways.

-Pastor Darius Templeton and the Cedar Creek church were so patient with us and loving to us. The BoggsMobile was parked in their parking lot an extra week and we were in and out all hours of the night and day with work trucks, workers and supplies the whole time. Bro. Templeton assisted in every way he could and men from his church were so very helpful.

-Even though the bus could not move, I moved my family to Ellisville Sunday morning to begin revival. Pastor Kenny Morris and his church paid for a motel, strengthed our week hands and confirmed our feeble knees all week long. They encouraged us and emboldened us and aided us in two many ways to count.

-That first Sunday morning, Pastor Dennis King and his church in Gainesville, Texas touched God for us. They prayed heaven down on us and I felt it and remarked on it Sunday morning. I did not know until later that the overwhelming strength I experienced Sunday morning was powered by their intercessory prayer in Texas. Hallelujah! They also took up a spontaneous offering that morning that paid all the expenses of that week's breakdown.

-Burroughs Diesel in Laurel, Mississippi does not work on buses, but they really went beyond the call of duty in finding us a replacement ECM for the bus, getting it programmed and then charging us a price that was way below the going price. I have prayed several prayers for them and their employees over the last year.

-KJo was steadfast and stable as a rock throughout the whole week. She never wavered one ounce and never uttered one complaint or discouraging word. Her amazing attitude is another clear reminder that I married way beyond my rank. I will never get over the extensive gap between the quality of her character and mine.

God orchestrated every ounce of that extensive list of help and other things that I have yet to remember or maybe even recognize. What an amazing God we serve.

So, for the next few years, every time I pull into Cedar Creek I will think of the bus refusing to start, but I will also think about the multitude of methods God came to our rescue. That makes me smile every time I think of Cedar Creek.

Can you see anything to be thankful for in the midst of adversity? I believe you can.

Thanks for reading today.

Davy