The week leading up to Easter Sunday Willie and I tossed around different combinations of how to get to Washington and what to take (we have a good bit of furniture, a little car, and a Suburban).
We came up with these options (and a few more complicated ones that I omitted).
-Drive a huge U-haul for our furniture, tow our little car behind, sell Suburban
-Drive our Suburban, tow a small u-haul for furniture, sell our little car for extra money
-Drive our Suburban, tow our little car, sell our furniture
-Sell both cars and our furniture :) and get 1 more reliable car
We finally realized that it was not worth it AT ALL for us to get a U-haul (big or small) and that selling our furniture was the best option. So, as Easter approached we were pretty settled on driving our Suburban and towing our little car behind it with whatever we could fit in them.
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**EASTER MORNING**
Easter has grown more and more special to me each year since I became a believer in 2006. Seems like those first couple of years God planted deep in me the fact that my sins had been forgiven, and I was grateful. Now, He's opening my eyes more to the fact that just as Jesus was raised from the dead, so one day He will raise ME (and you too if you believe) from the dead. Death in the life of a believer is nothing. I'll say it again. Death in the life of a believer is nothing! :) And that's what this Easter hit home for me. This truth gives me, and all who believe it, great courage and joy.
After church that morning, filled with joy, we went back home to have a meal together. When I came inside I noticed a man and a young woman sitting there that I had never met before. I introduced myself and asked how they knew the Nickols family. The man's name was Ramon and the young woman was his daughter, Felicitas. They are believers that live in the city beside us and they knew my in-laws from a church service that our church held downtown. On this particular day they had received a ride to church from my in-laws and came home with them afterward to fellowship with us.
I probably wont do this part of the story justice, but I have to try to tell you how encouraging it was just to have them there with us. For one it was a break from our normal routine. But more than that it was encouraging to get to know each other and listen to stories from their life and all that God has done for them. Even though it was our first time meeting the fact that we share a common faith bonded us.
While we were all sitting around laughing, eating, sharing stories well into the evening it hit me that Ramon and his daughter do not have a car. When they need groceries another brother in the faith had been taking them to get what they need. When they didn't have a way to church, someone from the body would take them. When Ramon needed to go to the hospital God provided a way. God had been providing for them, but it was like He was telling me He wanted to provide them now with a car. I loved the idea but I kept it to myself so I could bring it up to Willie that evening and see what he thought.
They left that night filled with joy and thanking us for sharing our family with them, but truly we were the ones that were blessed to have them.
As the night was winding down my mother in law, Eileen, suggested we watch a dvd of a sermon by Francis Chan. Yet another powerfully encouraging time spent that Easter evening. I was blown away by the incredible words of faith that Francis was sharing. What I took away from it was this,
The life I have been given in Jesus Christ FREES me to give my all and i shouldn't let other "well meaning" christians talk me out of doing something for Christ because they think it is to radical.
Most of this was in the context of what we do with the money/material wealth we are given.
So I was reminded again what the Lord had brought up earlier about giving Ramon and Felicitas our car. Now, just as the message was over and we were all sitting in the living room in a sense of awe, Willie turns to me with joy in his face and says, "Haley I think we should give Ramon our car." to which I squealed, "REALLY!? ME TOO!! I WAS JUST THINKING THAT!"
So the next day we brought it over, and was welcomed into their home and shared another encouraging evening together sharing what God had done.
Amen.
So, here we are, and as it stands now we will be driving the Suburban and whatever we can fit in the back of it out to Washington. Knowing how God so moved Willie and I to provide for the needs for our brother only makes us more excited and hopeful to see how He will keep providing for us as we transition into school and take on the task of paying for it.
(also, please pray for Ramon, he just had to have surgery and is in the hospital. Pray for a speedy, clean recovery, and continued support for him and his sweet daughter)
