"... things don't just happen..."

Yesterday I probably had one of the most amazing experiences I can remember in the last year, maybe even longer.  We were on exchanges, and Elder Sneed was working with me for the day.  We'd had several appointments fall through, even some that we'd set up just earlier that morning.  On our way off of campus, heading over to another appointment, we passed an old Jeep in a parking lot.  We walked past, and after we got maybe twenty yards past, the driver tried to start the car.  It was turning over, but it wouldn't fire up.

I don't know anything at all about cars, so I felt that I really couldn't do much to help with the situation.  Elder Sneed had worked at a car dealership before he came out on a mission, so he knows a little bit about cars, and decided to go back and see if we could help.

We talked to the girl who was trying to start the car, and she said that sometimes it just won't start.  They popped the hood and fiddled around with a few things (I have no idea what), and Elder Sneed tried starting the car up.  Still nothing.  So we were looking at the car, and this guy walks past, and yelled out, "I'd blame God that it's not starting!"  Tonya, the girl, was kinda confused until she looked at our tags again and realized that we were missionaries.

The guy's comment really got to Elder Sneed, though.  He climbed back in the Jeep to start it up, and as he was getting in, he said to me, "I'll show him the power of God."  He turned the keys, and it started to turn over again.  Then, all of the sudden, it fired right up!  As he was getting it started, Tonya asked me if we were students at Western, and I explained that we are full-time missionaries, and we go around and talk to people about some of life's greater questions.  This was right as it fired up, so she was very thankful about that.

Elder Sneed climbed out of the Jeep, and Tonya turned to us and said, "So, you guys would be the ones to ask questions to, right?"  And of course, we said yes.  She told us that she had been atheist for her whole life, but that there were several times where things would happen that really start to make her wonder.  "Like, for instance," she said, "you guys were right here, and were able to start my car.  Things like that don't just happen..."

I bore my testimony to her that she was right, that things like that don't just happen, but that God has a plan for each of us, and He gives us opportunities to come to know that He really is there.  The Spirit was so strong, and she said that she really wanted to find out if there was a God out there, and we were able to get her information to get a hold of her.

I don't know, maybe it's not as neat when you just read through the account.  But I felt such a strong Spirit yesterday, and I knew that God was working miracles through us to reach out to one of His children.  I know that there are no coincidences in life, but that God puts us where we need to be, if we will simply follow the promptings we receive.  Things don't just happen.