How exciting to see God at work, and what an honor when He includes us in accomplishing His plan!

During a snowstorm three and a half years ago, my husband, Troy, worked hard at plowing snow. He began at 1 a.m. on a Sunday morning with hopes of finishing, accompanied by his staff, before our church services began. He arrived before the others and parked his work truck near the maintenance garage.  Immediately, he began to clear the snow off parking lots and sidewalks. The rest of his staff arrived within the next two hours to complete the task.

At approximately 8 a.m., while finishing up the job, Troy noticed that someone had moved his truck. It was out of sight. He asked the other men where he could find it, but no one knew where to look.  His Initial thought of being the object of some kind of a joke quickly faded Into the reality of his stolen truck! Panic struck him! His tools, computer, important door lock equipment, keys, and important papers were gone!  Anger began to swell within him as he thought of the nerve of someone taking his truck! After calling the police, he contacted me at home and explained why he would not be able to attend church after all. He needed to file a police report and meet with an officer.

We hung up and I Immediately told our three sons the report of their dad’s stolen truck. Our oldest son Cal, a fifth grader at the time, suggested we pray for whoever took the truck. I agreed saying, “Whoever took it knows it is not theirs.” When we prayed for the thief, we even prayed for God to use this experience to bring this person to Him and change their life.

That morning, we asked others at church to pray for the situation. I heard myself saying, “Maybe someone just needed a ride and will bring it back.” I sensed the skepticism of the people concerning this possibility. More than likely, we would find the truck totaled in a ditch after a joy-riding expedition with all the valuables cleaned out and for sale on eBay! Even so, our little family continued to pray for “the person.”

When I spoke to Troy again on the phone, I told him of Cal’s suggestion to pray for whoever took it. He responded with aggravation to this thought. “Pray for that person? You should be praying for me,” he said.  “What will I do if all of that equipment and information is gone?” Eventually, the merciful heart of his son began to soften his own.

On Monday morning, a man pulled up to my husband’s work in the missing truck and parked it in the exact place it had been, previous to the robbery. He got out and began to walk away. One of Troy’s employees saw him and called to him; he told him that he needed to come and speak to my husband. After showing the man to my husband’s office, he told Troy “There is someone here you have to meet.” The man introduced himself as Leroy, told Troy his last name, and said, “I took your truck the other day, but I brought it back. It is parked outside. Nothing is missing.” My husband could not believe his ears! Still very upset, he said to the man, “You don’t understand. I have been worried sick about this. I had all of that valuable stuff inside.”  In response, Leroy continued, “Well I brought it back. Everything is still there. I did not touch anything. I just needed a ride home.”  He explained to Troy that during the snowstorm he drove his car into a ditch.  While walking to get help, he found no one, but stumbled across Leroy’s parked truck. He took it home and parked it in his driveway.

After the conversation ended, Leroy and my husband went outside to look at the truck. My husband realized everything inside remained untouched and in it’s previous condition. Relief swept over him, though he remained a bit irritated. He then thought of the answered prayer. He thought of this man’s explanation for taking the truck:  “I needed a ride.” Troy could not believe the words that came out of his mouth next. “So what are you going to do now?” He replied, “I’m going home. I will just call a taxi.” To his own disbelief my husband said, “I will give you a ride.” During this fifteen-minute ride, in the same “borrowed” truck, as our little family now describes it Leroy shared his heart with Troy.  He explained how he had been going through some tough times and felt like he could not get any lower. He later described feeling as though he hung onto the bottom rung of a ladder smothered In axle grease.

Troy told him that he should meet our pastor. He explained the genuine trouble we experienced In our marriage, before going to pastor for biblical counseling. He told him of the help we received that saved our marriage. He confided in him that we probably would not be together if not for the Biblical counseling we received. Leroy asked for the name of our pastor and church that we attended. Happily, Troy gave him the information.
Once at his driveway the two men parted ways. My husband called the police. He told them the missing truck and its contents were returned, and wanted the case closed. Troy called me and said, “You will not believe what I have been doing this morning!”  Together we praised God! I could not wait to tell the kids! They, too, praised God’s miracle! We thought that would be the last time we would see Leroy; however, we continued to pray for him.
Wednesday morning we received word that my husband’s best friend’s son, a senior In high school, had died in a car accident. Troy left to stay with Jim and his family. That same Wednesday, Leroy showed up at our church’s office and talked with the pastor’s wife and the school principal.  He explained that he was the guy that took Troy’s truck and how Troy had sent him to the church. He asked for help! I received the news when I picked our kids up from the school. The kids and I rejoiced and praised our Lord! When I called and told Troy, he shared how encouraging this was to Jim and his family during such a difficult time.

Leroy came to church Thursday night, and the school’s principal introduced him to me. We sat together in church and he told me, “I’m a God-fearing man, but He seems so far away right now.” He returned to church on Sunday morning and Sunday evening. The kids met him, and we all agreed that we liked him. We had, after all, been praying for him for a week now! At Sunday night’s services, Leroy got saved! What wonderful miraculous news to report to my husband, Jim, and his family!

Leroy remained faithful to our church ever since!  II Corinthians 5:17 promises that he is a new creation! Through biblical counseling with our pastor, he obtained freedom from various bondages. God truly performed a miraculous work in Leroy’s life! God slowly allowed him to rebuild a relationship with his children, while they watch God change his life. Two of his children and his parents visited our church; Leroy’s parents and sister thank God for the work He carried out in Leroy’s life. They had spent years praying for him! Leroy remains a very special friend to our little family, and even Jim still asks about him. Let us not forget the power of encouraging others in their walk with God by our own walk with God.

Recently, when Leroy, one of his sons, and our little family met together, we talked about when we all first met.  We told Leroy, for the first time, how Cal wanted to pray for whoever took the missing truck. That thought really touched him! He remembered on that Monday how he was “moved” to return the truck. Before that, he really cared nothing about what happened to him, the truck, or its contents.  In reflection on those dark days, Leroy stated, “It was right there where the good Lord could reach me and pull me up.  I was so low. I finally gave up trying in my own power. It was all Him. I thank God for what He has done for me. He has blessed me financially and in relationships and I never want to go back to where I was before.” Praise God He still answers prayer!

Written by the Brandt Family & Leroy Flowers