“I believe our car is overheating,” my husband exclaimed as he carefully drove our trusty station wagon down the Asheville mountains. We had attended a family reunion and were on our way home. Tired and thirsty children added to the tense moment. “Oh, please, not car issues now, “ I mumbled. We were still three long hours away from home.

My husband, Chuck, pulled over in hopes a short rest would remedy the situation. Our three children sat on the highway grass as the stifling July heat reminded me I was eight months pregnant. The air only seemed to move when a car sped past us.  With every attempt Chuck made, we held our breath in hope the car would start. 

No luck. The station wagon was dead.We were out in the middle of nowhere. No one was around. We couldn’t use our cell phone because this was before they existed. Our choices were slim.

My husband journeyed down the hill looking for any sign of civilization. “I see a house!” he hollered. “Sit tight while I walk down and see if they have a phone.” 

We waited. Hot, sweaty, and nervous, we prayed someone would be home. Thoughts bombarded me. Will Chuck find help? A phone? What if I go into labor while he’s gone? What if someone tries to hurt us? I knew my mind was spiraling into a dangerous pool of irrational thoughts as the minutes seemed like hours. “ Lord, please send help and calm my fears.”

 Suddenly, the sound of something unfamiliar caught our attention. In the distance, we saw a white golf cart driving up the bank. As the cart drew closer, the children screamed out, “Mom! Mom! It’s dad, and he has another man riding with him.”  “ Oh, thank God,”  I whispered.

The short, middle-aged farmer was friendly and soft-spoken as he introduced himself. He handed each of us a cold, refreshing water bottle. We were so grateful. He then offered us a ride back to his air-conditioned house while my husband waited for help. I accepted without hesitation as the scorching sun was relentless. 

My father-in-law arrived within the hour. His diagnosis of the car was not promising. It had to be towed away. With no road-side assistance, we reached out to some friends back home. Since it was late in the day, it would have to wait until the morning. Still, the problem of getting home loomed as my father-in-law’s car could not fit five extra people. 

The hospitable farmer overheard us talking about the situation and presented a generous offer. “Please, take my van and use it to drive your family back home.”  What? Did he just offer complete strangers his van? My husband and I exchanged glances as we seemed to read each other’s thoughts. Should we take him up on this offer? My husband reminded him that we could arrange for someone to pick us up, but he was insistent.We were overjoyed at the provision of God.

With smiles from ear-to-ear, our children excitedly climbed into the clean and fresh smelling van. Reminders to “ be neat and don’t spill anything!” were taken seriously by all. This was more than any of us expected. We were thankful God heard and answered in a most unusual way. 

Friends and family heard our story and were astonished by the stranger’s gift. Hebrew 13:2 reminds us to …not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. (NKJV) In our case the stranger entertained us. He was our angel sent by God to meet our needs on a sweltering Summer day. He ministered to us physically with water, and spiritually with refreshment, love, and encouragement. 

The stranger’s extravagant act of faith, entrusting his van to us, spoke of a greater gift than a mode of transportation. That simple farmer taught us a life lesson—loving people is more important than loving our possessions.