A Miracle in Oregon

As I mentioned in my previous blog, Karen and I went camping near Grants Pass, Oregon, to get a better view of the recent solar eclipse. We had a good time getting “back to nature” for the four days we were there, and got to see the eclipse at about 93%. Because of smoky air from some extensive wildfires in Southern Oregon, the sun took on a reddish-orange hue, which added to the eeriness of the event. But in the process, we learned two valuable lessons: first, that we are not as young as we used to be when we last camped 11 years ago; and second, there is a reason most people live in houses with real beds, air conditioning, and indoor plumbing. Contact me if you’re interested in a slightly used tent and air mattress.

The trip reminded me of our previous venture into Oregon, which also included some tenting. However, there were some amazing things that happened on that trip which I wrote about in my (hopefully) soon to be completed book on miracles. I share with you an excerpt from the book which includes the following account of what all happened:

“Several years ago, Karen and I vacationed in Oregon. We planned to camp, go to a rock and mineral show in Salem, and see the sights, especially Crater Lake. We set out from our home in California and I drove us north for about four hours before finally nearing the Oregon border. All at once I became very tired, and decided to pull off into a roadside park to catch a nap before proceeding.

After I dozed a while, a woman came up to the car and asked for help. She told us that her grandmother was in the hospital and she needed some money to go see her. We began to doubt her story when she explained her grandmother had frostbitten toes from nearby Mount Shasta and the surgery would cost $200, but we figured she needed help; besides, Jesus told a parable in which the lesson was, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ (Matthew 25:40)

I took out my wallet and gave her a precious $20 bill, which of course, we had planned to spend on our vacation. The woman thanked us and walked away. I wondered if we had done the right thing, but as I soon learned, it was the best $20 we have ever spent.

We reached our intended campground, pitched our tent, and did some tourist things in that area for a couple days, before packing up and heading north toward Crater Lake. We enjoyed the beautiful drive, and became more excited as we reached the national park. We headed straight for the crater, planning to circle the rim before continuing on to our next campsite.

The only problem was, the road to the rim was very steep, and halfway up the slope our car’s clutch decided to give out. We tried to go on but couldn’t, so I had to coast back down the hill, using our momentum to swing into the visitor center parking lot. Of course, it was almost closing time, but I was able to find a pay phone (cell phones did not work there). I called our motor club and learned they had one tow truck in Klamath Falls, about 60 miles away.

The truck arrived and loaded my stricken vehicle onto the flatbed; we hopped into the cab and the driver carried us to Klamath Falls. He called a motel for us on the way, and dropped the car off outside the (closed) car dealer’s service bay. Then he drove us to the motel. So far so good, but I was afraid to hear the towing charges, since we had only the local towing plan with our auto club. For the driver to come 60 miles to get us and then another 60 to get us to the repair shop, and to spend at least three hours in the process would have to be expensive.

I gritted my teeth and asked, ‘What do we owe you?’ His answer: ‘Nothing. You’re covered.’ Stunned, I said, ‘But you drove 60 miles to come get us and I only have the local towing plan.’ He smiled, said, ‘It was local for me,’ and drove away.

We walked into the motel office to register. After giving my information to the clerk, I asked how much the room was going to cost. She looked at me, smiled, and said, ‘Well, you just got off a truck to get here, so I’ll give you the trucker rate. That will be $20 off your bill.’ We ended up staying there two nights, and we got the special rate both nights.

The next blessing came with the bill for the car repair. When the service manager first looked at it he quoted me a price which sounded fair, even though I could hardly have declined even if I had wanted to. Two days later, when the car was fixed, he sat down with me to explain the final bill. He said they had to do some additional repair which required having machine work done because of the damage to the clutch.

He started punching numbers on his calculator, and I steeled myself for what would be a huge total. He hit the ‘Total’ key, but when he saw the results, he said ‘That can’t be right,’ and ran the numbers again. This time he sat back with a funny look on his face before handing me the bill: it was for $60 less than his original estimate. He said he couldn’t explain how it added up the way it did, but I paid the reduced bill gladly and we continued our trip.

Because we had not yet actually seen Crater Lake, we returned there immediately and drove up to the rim – this time making it easily. We spent some time there before hitting the road toward our next destination. By the time we got to the city of Roseburg, Oregon, it was late, so we decided to look for another motel rather than trying to find a campground.

We pulled into the motel’s parking lot and I went in to check on a room. The clerk said they had one room left, and actually turned away some people who came into the office right after me. When I asked how much, she gave me the rate, but when I pulled out my wallet, she looked at her desk and picked up a piece of paper. She said, ‘Here’s a coupon someone couldn’t use so they left it here. I’ll apply it to your room, and it will save you $20.’

I could go on with some additional, and unexpected, non-financial blessings we received later on that vacation, but even as these things were happening, I felt that God was blessing our obedience to help someone in need, even if I had given the money with some reluctance. I also couldn’t help but wonder whether God would have blessed our trip the same ways if we had been more tight-fisted with our money.”

Just to be clear, my book explains more fully that God did not owe me anything for helping that woman at the roadside. What he did was a complete, unearned blessing that he could have done without my generosity, or not done at all. I would believe in him regardless, and thank him for all his blessings, especially the gift of his Son, Jesus Christ. To him be all the glory! (But it sure was cool the way it worked out . . . )

May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Job 1; Job 13:15