Multitude Monday - 1000 Gifts ~ Very loud... but not so scary until after the fact...

At least that was how Nadia described it...

Last week, she and her daddy were taking a "Christmas" delivery out to the bush churches with whom we work - wooden benches to replace rocks for pews and some stationary supplies to help with their dry season Bible school that will be up and running in a very short time.

I got a phone call later that morning telling me they were just heading back towards Niamey - a little behind schedule because Tim had had to change a flat tire... and to pray because he was already using the only spare he had with him. Thankfully, they arrived home without further incident, and nothing more was said... until I walked out the door and found this...

...sitting next to the carport.

I tracked down my husband to ask him exactly what did happen, because THAT looked a lot worse than a simple flat tire.

So he gave me the scoop he didn't want to tell me while traveling the day before: 

He'd noticed the truck wasn't driving quite right, so had checked the tires several times while making a few stops in town before heading out to the bush. At the edge of the city is a police stop where you pay a road tax before you can continue on your way, so just after clearing that stop, and as he was slowly starting to speed up, Tim asked Nadia to pray for safety as they traveled. She did.

It was just a short time later that the tire blew, as they were rounding a long, slow curve.

When I asked Nadia later about the experience, she said that there was a loud pop and the truck jerked really hard and then did the thumping like when a tire goes flat. She said it was a little scary, but she was more afraid waiting while her daddy changed the tire by the side of the road where people were driving by so very fast.

However, afterwards, as she thought about what had happened... and remembered the stories of what really had happened to others whose tire blew... she got really scared - and then really thankful:

1. that her daddy made her wear her seatbelt and had asked her to pray for safety;
2. that she obeyed immediately and prayed when he asked her
3. that God heard her prayer
4. and that this time, He kept them completely safe and helped her not to be afraid at the time, even though He didn't have to do so.

this week's gratitude list:
(#s 1778 - 1798)

safety

answered prayer

my girl seeing her prayer answered so directly and so immediately

my girl recognizing that safety in their particular circumstance was a gift, a grace and an answer to prayer

girls that like to keep their daddy company

little one healing from pneumonia

continued healing of Jonathan's eye, even though we continue to find out the injury was more serious than we ever dreamed

hot steamy showers for croupy girls

downloaded Dora movies to entertain those croupy girls as they try to rest and let their bodies heal

Christmas brunch with family and friends

cousins enjoying the experience of a lifetime together... canoeing down a real and wild African river, at this very moment!

nights so lovely and cool we don't even need to run the fan

enthusiastic children at the Sunday School Christmas program

our pastor's wife - who was not only helping lead the Sunday School Christmas program, but was also simultaneously playing midwife to a first-time mama sheep... our children saw the actual birth and they named the little lamb "Noël."

vacation days

packing for a camping trip

Drink mix packets and ranch dressing packets delivered to our front door

afternoon naps

family photos

64th birthdays - even when we can't be there to party with the birthday "girl"