From the Alexander File
Indeed before the day was, I am He; And there is no one who can deliver out of My hand; I work, and who will reverse it? (Isaiah 43:13)
I hate shopping for cars. It’s such a tedious process. Even with the ability to search for things online, there’s still no way to avoid going to different dealerships, taking test drives, and sorting through the myriad of variables that you have to evaluate to make sure you’re making a wise purchase. At least it’s that way with me. Then, once you do find the vehicle you want, the actual process of purchasing it — even if you’re paying the full price in cash — is a nightmare. The negotiating, the fake schmoozing, the over-taxed salesperson who seems to always have something else to do but work on your deal: the whole experience is annoying. The worst part is that it’s puposefully designed to be so irritating that, when they finally do get around to you, you won’t push back on any of the add-ons they’re upselling just so you can get out of there. And don’t get me started on the paperwork. I swear that I’ve signed my name fewer times closing a mortgage than I have buying a used car.
Unfortunately, there comes a time when it has to be done, and such was the case for us in the spring of 2012. We had run our previous vehicle into the ground, and it was starting to cost more to repair than it was worth. After the transmision failed, I resigned myself to the reality that enough was enough. As our kids were growing, the old minivan felt like it was shrinking, and taking my wallet with it. So, reluctantly, my wife and I dedicated a Saturday to go car shopping.
Finding the right vehicle wasn’t easy. Money was tight and we had some very specific requirements. It had to accommodate four teenagers comfortably. It had to have plenty of cargo room for seeming half-ton of groceries we came home with every week. It had to have low mileage because everything is a long way away from Texas — even within Texas itself. As we looked at several different makes and models, I felt like Goldilocks wandering through the bears’ home: they were all too small, had too many miles, were too expensive, or were too uncomfortable to drive. Early in the afternoon, we happened across a dealership that had a Dodge Grand Caravan which looked like a strong candidate. It checked most of our important boxes, but the price, while reasonable, was still more than what I wanted to pay. Nevertheless, we talked to a sales guy and took a test drive. Even though we hadn’t seen anything else we liked better, and this was the only one on that lot that fit most of our bill, the price tag concerned me. Since it was still early in the day, rather than make an impulsive decision, we decided to walk away, visit a few more lots, and pray about it over the rest of the weekend.
Our kids were disappointed when we came home that evening in the same beat-up vehicle we’d left in. We told them about the different options we’d seen, including the Grand Caravan which seemed to be the best option, but that we need to pray over this decision. Our oldest son, who was 16 years old at the time, took that to heart. The following day, Sunday, he shared with his small group about our need for a new vehicle and told them about the Grand Caravan. When I picked him up after his meeting, he excitedly told me that he and his friends had prayed that God would supply us with the car He wanted us to have. I guess he had never requested prayer for something that was that big to him before, and was encouraged by the support he had received.
As my wife and I also talked and prayed about it, we came to the conclusion that the Grand Caravan was the right one for us, so the next day my dad went with me to buy it. We intetionally arrived at the dealership before they opened because I didn’t want to risk anyone else getting to it before I could. While we waited for the employees to open, I took my dad to the spot were it was parked to show it to him. As I approached, I was stunned by what I saw: there was a SOLD tag hanging from the rear view mirror. My heart sank as I realized I’d missed my opportunity.
Frantically, I searched around the lot for other options, only to find the same ones I’d seen on Saturday. Unsurprisingly, they still had the same issues that had caused me to pass on them before: wrong price, wrong mileage, wrong features. As I was trying to decide if I needed to compromise on my requirements or keep looking elsewhere, the salesman we’d spoken to on Saturday approached me.
“So, I see you came back!” he greeted me cheerfully.
“Yes,” I replied begrudgingly. “Unfortunately, the one I wanted is already sold.”
His smile immediately turned into a frown. “What?! That can’t be!”
I pointed at the minivan. “Yes, it is. See? There’s a ‘sold’ tag hanging in the windshield.”
His smile returned as quickly as it had left. “Oh,” he laughed, “I did that. There were three other families that came in after you did who were interested in it, but I was so sure that you were going to come back for it I put the tag on it and told all my colleagues to not let anyone else have it.” Noticing the shock and confusion on my face, he pulled the tag off the mirror and showed it to me. “See? It has your name on it.” In my panic, I had completely overlooked that detail.
I stood there in disbelief. We had expressed interest in it, but I had put no money down, nor had I even promsied to come back. I would have chalked his story up to more salesman games if I hadn’t seen the tag with my own eyes before anyone else had arrived that morning. Even more unbelieveable was the idea that a commission-driven salesman would pass on a bird in hand for the mere possibility of one in the bush — but that’s exactly what this guy had done.
The only part of closing that sale I remember is that the salesman found it funny when I insisted on keeping the SOLD tag. What he didn’t realize is that I couldn’t wait to get home and show my son documented proof that God not only knew what we needed before we asked, but He had provided for the need before we asked, too. Before we had even arrived home on Saturday, the sales guy had already turned away three other interested parties. When my son and his friends were asking God to give us the vehicle of His choosing, the van had already been sitting in the lot for 24 hours with my name on it. In fact, as far as God was concerned, it was already a done deal before I had even realized that it was what I wanted, much less had asked for it.
So, I keep that SOLD tag in my Alexander File. It has forever changed the way I read Matthew 6:8. In context, Jesus is admonishing His followers to not be like the Gentiles, who think they will be heard because of their many words because “your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” Prior to the SOLD tag, I acknowledged that God knew about my needs, but it was always questionable what, if anything, He was going to do about them. This experience taught me that He doesn’t just know in advance, He acts in advance as well.
Immediately following Matthew 6:8 is what we know as the Lord’s Prayer — the model that should be used as a template for all our prayers. As familiar as those words are to us, what we often miss is that the attitude, understanding, and perspective we should bring to all our prayers is that God already knows and has already answered. That changes the conversation considerably, doesn’t it? Knowing that God isn’t playing keep away with me, that He’s created the provision before He creates the need allows me to come to the throne with confidence, knowing that His answers aren’t out of reach, just out of sight. And if He knows what I need before I do, and has answered before before I ask, then He can, and will, time the delivery of that answer just as perfectly.
That’s why that SOLD tag has a permanent place in my Alexander File. When I think He’s not listening or that He doesn’t care, it reminds me that His provision for my needs is already sitting there with my name on it. It may be out of sight, but it isn’t out of reach. And if I can trust that He’s already provided for everything I need before I even know to ask for it, then I can trust His timing of when He chooses to give it to me.
