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 While
I was driving on the freeway at Troutdale near Portland, Oregon, I noticed a beautiful rainbow in the jet
stream.  It was breath taking for its colors were so bright. I was singing
while driving and all four children were quiet in the car. I prayed
silently to God that when I lived in heaven, I wanted to have a huge
garden of Roses maybe bigger than the Portland rose gardens. Each unique
rose was to have a story it represented. That story was of an experience
on earth that I saw He was directly blessing or comforting or leading me.
Somehow the times of deep sorrow needed those very special roses. |
 As I neared Portland, I wanted to stop at Costco for
something. I do not remember if it was film or some food item for
the children. I was very careful for I had a long ways to get to grandmas
house. My funds were very limited. It looked like if all went as planned,
I could make the round trip. I wanted to be there for mom and dad's 50th
wedding anniversary. |
 Suddenly, there was a bumpy experience as the left tire was
going flat. I had just exited the freeway and was moving at a much slower
pace or this problem could have caused a terrible accident. I slowly
pulled to a stop pulling off the road. My anxiety was very high when I
discovered the tire was beyond help. A man stopped to change my tire for
me and urged me to go to Costco for a new tire. I tried to give him
something but he refused and said to just pass the favor on to someone
else. His face looked kind and full of peace and joy. I wondered if he was
an angel. |
| After he left, I gathered my four children to get back into the car. Tears began to flow from my eyes as I knew the funds to get to grandmas needed to be spent on a tire. I would have to wait in Portland at a cousins home till my husband's next pay check ten days away. |
    Just
then, my daughter placed a huge bouquet of pink roses in my hands. She had
gathered what she could get from a rose bush reaching through the nearby
fence. Jenny is a sweet optimistic little girl who rejoices at any excuse
to gather flowers. She was care free. The tire problem was not even a
concern to her. I used to be that way but after becoming a mother, I lost
that. I take on the worries that my dear God can carry for me. |
      It
came to my memory what I had just been saying to God while I was driving on the freeway.
I was imagining what my place in heaven would look like. This is a
favorite thing I like to do when driving long distances. I was telling God
about my dreams of a heaven rose garden where no bugs would eat up the
flowers. I wanted to plant a rose with fragrance and color for each valley
I had been in and knew Jesus was there for me. |
There would be a story I could tell for each rose. I love roses like my mother and her mother always did. The fragrance is a treasure to me. I knew He had caused the tire to hold together till there was a rose bush I could park by. Does He have a sense of humor, or what? |
 Then
my dear Jesus helped me to see those roses when my daughter placed her bouquet
in my nervous hands. It was a special fragrant moment from heaven. I
sniffed the sweet pink delicate blossoms, looked up to heaven and grinned.
WOW! There were many places along that road with no roses. How did we land
there at that pretty bush? What a delightful Forever Friend Jesus! It was
His signal to me that He had all things in His control. |
| I went to
buy the most inexpensive tire I could find. They did not
have one the right size. They said I had to have two tires the same size. The
problem now looked so bad for me that it was really hard to fight back the
tears. The man said to go on out to my car and he would find something. He
thought he had something that would work and would be low cost. I went out
to be with my four children in the sun scorching parking lot. |
| Soon he came out rolling two tires. He had a big grin on his face and a twinkle in his eyes. He put the tires on right there in the parking lot. Then he went back in for something. He came back out with pop for the children to drink. The children smiled and graciously took the drinks. It was a such a hot day waiting there on the black pavement. They were very wilted looking. However, they did not know what to do for I have taught them the dangers of caffeine and we never take drinks with caffeine. Chocolate also has it in it. Their distress, I feared, would make the man feel bad. I prayed about what to say. |
 Finally, I mentioned gently that the children did not drink
anything with caffeine in it for health reasons. He jumped up with concern
on his face and said he hoped Costco would refund his money. He gathered
the cans and came back with tall cups of lemonade. He also had some
cookies. He told them to have fun at Grandmas. I asked how much I owed and
he said "NOTHING!". The tires had good treads but some rich
person just wanted a fancier look and discarded them. I had the trunk
loaded with home canned fruit and food for while at grandmas.
I gave him some home canned cherries as a gift for his kindness and he was
thrilled. |
| We were on our way in minutes singing praises to God for
how HE worked that one out.
My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches...Phil. 4:19 |