The day was auspicious, and I hoped to get a new job soon. I relaxed in the luxurious space of the teacher recruitment office with nothing to worry about—seemingly. We talked about many things: my family, my job experiences, my expectations, my…
Then it dawned on me. Didn’t I park my car in the parking lot three or even four underground train rides away in Seven Sisters (London)? And wouldn’t my ticket run out at 1:00 p.m.?
Time! What’s the time? Someone, please tell me the time.
Now it was panicking time! It was nearly 1 p.m., and I was approximately 35 minutes from my car, which was parked conveniently near the underground entrance, just about 5 minutes' walk from the underground station.
I remember jumping up, saying a hasty goodbye, and rushing out of the office quickly. There was no time to lose. It was a good thing there was no speeding ticket for walking or running on the roads, on the pavement, across the roads, or between cars. I frantically dashed down this street and that street and the next to get to the nearest underground station. I thought to myself, “What have you done? You did not have to overdo it! But you silly girl sat there and forgot all about your car. You have abandoned your car and will now be paying for overstaying. And where will the money be coming from? That’s why you are here in the first place—to get a job to provide for your family—not to pay extra for parking!”
Then a still, small voice stopped me in my tracks—I remembered one word I was accustomed to—prayer. Every step I made resounded into worship. Every breath I took was a God-breathed Spirit-filled prayer—down the steps and on the underground train. I reminded God that He had done it in the past for me, and He could do it again. I called out every miracle I could remember here and abroad and told them to God. The stopping and moving of the train seemed like a symphony orchestra playing a melody in my ears: You are late. You are late
But the still small voice said, “Pray.” And so, I prayed, “Dear God, let me get there on time. Don’t let the traffic wardens get to my car before I arrive. Hide my ticket from them and forgive me for where I went wrong. Remember when you helped me to …. And helped me in….? Please do it again for me today. You are a mighty God. You can do this. In Jesus name, amen.”
The fast-traveling underground train seemed extremely slow and not going fast enough. But I prayed on.
Getting off was not a problem—not many people were on the train that day. I sprinted in a mad rush towards the exit that seemed to unwind in a spiral. I hadn’t noticed this before, but why were the stairs so long and tedious? I hurriedly glanced around for the ticket machine, slapped my ticket down, and said, “Come on, open up!” under my breath.
Dashing up the entire staircase took my breath away, but no one would stop me as I sprinted on the last leg of my journey—still praying. I turned the corner only to see the traffic warden in the distance checking the tickets on each car in the opposite row to my vehicle. I could not allow him to beat me to it, but I was so near yet far away.
I tried to run faster, but my legs seemed to have slowed down quite considerably underneath me. Where did my breath go? There might not have been speed in my legs, but I sure had it in my mind. I continued to pray. But something unique happened as I continued to pray. To my pleasant surprise, the traffic warden turned and strolled towards the side of my car, checked the car on the right of my car, then gently turned his back towards my car and seemed to slide himself past my car and went to check the next car to mine, oblivious to the fact that a car was sitting there waiting to be inspected or driven. I kept running only to see him slowly disappearing down the line of vehicles, checking them as he went along. God be praised!
Phew! That was close. I quickly reached for the handle of my car, jumped into the driver’s seat, and grabbed the ticket from the dashboard. 1:00 p.m.—it blared out to me as I double-checked repeatedly. It was now 1:15 p.m. Fifteen minutes over, I would have been penalized. I breathed a sigh of thanks to God. Miracles like these are not to be kept to ourselves.
I jumped out of the car with my ticket in hand towards a gentleman passing by.
“Look!’ I exclaimed.
“You’re lucky!’ he responded.
Lucky? I thought. No, not at all. It was a miracle.
That afternoon, I drove my car the many miles home to Cheshunt from London, singing and praising God.
He does take care of us. My Friend Jesus does.
Call to Action
We must always be ready for anything unexpected to come our way. We must be alert and call on Him in times of trouble—do not delay. Jesus promises that when we call, He will answer. We have the assurance in scripture that He will. He is a dependable God. “He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honour him” (Psalms 91:15 KJV).
There is a time of trouble that will come when we must remember where He has led us. He allows us to experience these small miracles to prepare us for the big times ahead. Sometimes, we complain instead of asking God, “What is this teaching me? How can I do better next time?” I was ready for an interview but forgot my mission and deadline—to return to my car on time. Had I been more focused, I would have remembered where I should have been at a particular time. I lost track of time.
In our spiritual endeavors, we often get lost in things we shouldn’t and lose our focus on the important things God wants us to keep our minds on at all times. We must be watchmen on the walls of Zion for ourselves and for others while getting ready for His coming.
Let us keep close to God, focus on Him, and keep claiming the promises in His Word. He will always honor His promises. We, His children who He loves so dearly, must not lose heart whenever we need His guiding hand and His help in getting ready. He is ever so near, and He is pleased when we tell Him what He has done for us in the past—that’s one way of praising Him, too.
