A Storm of Praise

"Some providences, like Hebrew letters, must be read backwards."~John Flavel

A few weeks ago, a severe hailstorm struck Los Alamos. The hail was the size of golf balls, and there was much damage done to the cars at the Lab where Mountain Man works. We mused at what seemed to be another link in our ever-growing chain of challenges, and then we praised God that Mountain Man didn't have a brand new BMW like one of his co-workers and that, overall, the damage done to his car wasn't obvious unless you were looking for it.

We considered making an insurance claim but were deterred by a high deductible and the fact that we hadn't been with our insurance company for even a year. So, it was interesting to receive an e-mail from them stating that a severe hailstorm had been noted in Santa Fe County and to please call in claims to the listed number. I forwarded the message to Mountain Man, and after much urging from fellow employees who had successfully filed claims for damage, he set up an appointment to have them look at his car.

Imagine our shock when the assessor informs him that they must TOTAL his car. (Remember I said that you couldn't even notice the damage unless you were looking for it?) They offered to take the car and give us a check which we would then have to put towards another vehicle (and then have more car payments), or they would pay off the car and give us a check for a lesser amount. We chose door number 2! So, now Mountain Man is driving a slightly unsightly paid off car, and we have a bit more money in the bank as well.

We know that God works all things together for good to those who love Him, and this is true even if this situation hadn't ended so beautifully. But this was a providence that God allowed us to "read backwards" and to be able to see the blessing in it right now, as He so graciously has done over and over. Our God is generous, and His mercies are humbling, and it is so exciting to see how He provides for us in the most unexpected ways. Consider...

~we received an e-mail prompting the filing of a claim...don't know why, but this was key in encouraging us to even consider making a claim

~Mountain Man's car was damaged to the point of having to be totaled, but it is still a great car, and now it's even greater because it's paid for! :)

~God even blessed us with a bit extra, which helped provide for new tires for the car just a week later (with all of his driving, Mountain Man replaces tires every 9 months...)

~the filing of the claim was impressively quick and easy...same day service!

~because this was a "natural disaster," but our premium didn't increase a bit because of filing a claim

We often think of rain storms as refreshing, but not hailstorms. Yet, God used this very thing to refresh our spirits and encourage our hearts, reminding us once again that His mercies are new every day.

"I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works." Psalm 9:1