For a number of years, my mother has had a sign in her home that reads: "Miracles happen to those who believe in them." Now, I suppose some might say that it was pure luck, but I have a hard time accepting that idea. To do this denies the fact that there is a God who takes an interest in our lives and showing us His strength.

This past weekend I was lucky enough to spend some time in the Orlando area and join the Deeper family once again for worship on the long MLK, Jr. holiday weekend. As I got back into my car on Monday morning to return to Tennessee where I go to school, I anticipated a rather long and (hopefully) uneventful trip back. As I traveled the long distance on I-75, I tried my best to use this time to relax before returning to the hurried life of work and class.

As I neared Macon, GA I knew I had less than half my journey to go. All of a sudden, I was startled by a sudden "POP!" A moment later, another "POP!" and I saw in my rearview mirror a piece of something black flying through the air. I quickly pulled to the side of the road, only to discover a hole in my tire nearly three inches long.

"Dear God," I prayed. "I don't need this right now." Not only did I find myself with a flat tire on the side of the road, but I also knew that I had procrastinated in purchasing the wrench needed to raise the jack so I could replace my tire with the spare. I only had one choice; I pulled out my cell phone and AAA card and dialed the number for roadside assistance. Remembering my previous experience, I expected to sit on the side of the road for a few hours waiting for a tow-truck to come get me out of this jam.

As I hung up with the AAA operator, I clung to the promise that I should have help within an hour. (Apparently when you're a single female sitting on the side of a busy interstate, you become a priority.) Next I called my father in Pennsylvania to let him know what had happened and that I was making use of the AAA membership he wouldn't let me leave home without when I left for Florida last May. After this, I called my boyfriend to let him know what was going on as I had ended our earlier call without much of an explanation.

A few minutes into this second call, my phone beeped to let me know I had an incoming call from an unknown number. Less than 10 minutes after hanging up with AAA, they were calling back to let me know that a tow-truck would be there in 10-15 minutes. Six minutes later, a rather large tow-truck pulled up in front of me and within less than 35 minutes after I pulled to the side of the road, I was traveling again down I-75 to the nearest Super Wal-Mart where I could purchase a new tire.

While it is tempting to say that everything worked out really well for me that day, I know God's hand was guiding and protecting me. To me, this story proves that God still provides miracles when we need them most. On this day, I can count at least three miracles.
1. I was near a large city with a Super Wal-Mart that was open on a holiday
2. I waited less than 30 minutes for help to come
3. Standing at the checkout counter, I could see rent money coming off my debit card as I prepared to pay for my new tire. It was then that I remembered my Wal-Mart gift card I received from my mother for Christmas.