We talked about this on the show today but I don’t think we had the time to do it justice. This is just one of those stories that will stick with you.

Hello Wally,

I trust that this very long email finds you doing well. My name is Lacey, and I’d like to share with you a story.

One night, in the summer of 2015, I met some friends at bingo. I won a lot of money. We laughed and high-fived and sat out in the amazing night air during the intermission, laughing about our amazing fortunes.

On my way home at around 3 a.m., I made it to the highway and had to pull over because the vibration in my van was so intense it was shaking my arms.

I stepped out to look and as I bent over, someone pulled up to assist me. I took full advantage of the new lighting provided by the car and bent over the best I could to get a good look.

The next thing I know, I’m fighting for my life.

I was punched in the head, knocking me backwards and sending my glasses flying in the night. The more I fought back, the more he attacked.

He tried dragging me to the ditch and tree line. He tried throwing me in front of semis as they blew past us.

I very literally fought for my life.

When I stopped fighting, he took my wallet from my van and left. I found out later that night the air in my tires had been let out intentionally.

Fast forward to January 7, 2016.

I was on my home at 8 pm, the same time my mother would be coming behind me from work. As I’m talking to her on the phone, my tire blew out.

On the highway.

In the dark.

Alone.

As I began to come undone with panic, my mom stayed on the phone with me, letting me know I wasn’t alone. She was coming, only 7 or 8 miles away. Just breath and she will be there. I wasn’t alone on this highway.

When she finally got there, I couldn’t get to her car fast enough! I called my insurance company to start a tow truck, she called my brothers, both police officers, to get us some security.

I was shaking, not from the freezing temperatures, but fear. Pure. Fear.

When the tow truck was finally on the way, mom held my hand and prayed. We prayed for safety and we prayed for speed.

The phone rang. The tow truck passed us up, on purpose.

We were “not in a safe place” for him to change the tire so he wasn’t stopping. He’d send another driver in about 30 mins.

My heart almost escaped through my mouth!! I was on the verge of a full blown panic attack.

Enter the blue lights!!

Thank you God!! Maybe these semis that were rocking my mom’s little car would scoot on over and help ease the fear of being squished in this tin can.

Not so fast though.

We explain to the officer our dilemma. We thank him for getting there, our first tow truck just canceled! It’s freezing and I am terrified.

“Oh yeah well you should be,” he says. “Cars gravitate to broke down cars and hit them. This is very dangerous and you shouldn’t be here. If your tow truck doesn’t come, we’ll tow it.”

He put a tow sticker on the car and then exits stage left!! First the tow truck, now him, and now the boys aren’t responding!!

We are all alone again…sitting ducks!!

I’m shaking so bad I can’t convince my mom I’m not cold, I am in fact sweating now. She decides I need the heat back on, only now…her car won’t start.

Seriously.

Did you not hear about us praying? I was pretty sure God went to bed early.

When the tow truck finally arrives, three hours in, we get the van on the flatbed to be dropped at the tire place, mom’s car jumped and we are on the way.

But it’s now 11 pm. The tire place is closed, we are freezing and starving. This day is officially too much!!

January 8, 2016.

I call the shop where my van has been mysteriously abandoned. The guy lets me know he is so very sorry about my blow out and not to stress, they will have me up and moving by 11.

I get to the tire place to discover the most beautiful silver lining.

I’m waiting for my car to be pulled to the door and I’ll be on my way. Only when he pulls up, he doesn’t get out. It’s starting to drizzle, you have my window half way down and now you’re comfortable?? And he sits. And I stare. And he sits.

As I walk out to find out what in the what is going on now, I hear a song playing…talking about the hard times he’s been through.

“But you have been my God through all of it..”

And he’s crying.

This 6 foot plus…probably 280 lb. greasy mechanic that still thinks it’s no shave November is crying in my van.

I tap the window and he just rolls it down and puts his arm on the ledge and tears keep coming. I put both of my hands on his arm and said hey, are you ok?

“I’ve never heard this.”

Yeah. It’s a pretty good one.

“No. I’ve never heard THIS. Or felt THIS.” And he gestured up and down his stomach and chest with his other hand.

You’ve heard of God, right? Like, you know who He is don’t you??

“I’m 39 years old and I’ve never seen the inside of a church. I’ve never heard about God before, not like this.”

I didn’t even realize I was rubbing his arm until he grabbed one of my hands and held it. When he did, I started to pray.

I prayed for his heart and I prayed for his soul. I prayed for him to find the courage to explore these embers God was burning inside of him. I prayed for him to know the joy I know in my Father.

When I was done he kept hold of my hand and said, “I feel like I need to do something. I need something.”

I said you need to feed your soul!! It’s starving and you just waived something perfect and fulfilling in front of it!

I told him where I go to church and where I sit. I told him pick any church sit any where…just go. I said you think this feels like something you need to act on, just wait until you walk into your Father’s house.

You’ll be overwhelmed and it will feel amazing.

He wrote down the station number, wrote down the name of the church and turned off the car. He sat there a few more moments and squeezed my hand and said, “I feel like that song just gave me my life back and I didn’t know I needed it fixed.”

He stepped out and I hugged his neck. I squeezed him hard and long and told him I loved him. He squeezed me back and said I actually believe you mean that. And he promised me he wouldn’t forget this moment. He will be changing his radio station on his tool box and he will be in church on Sunday…he has a lot of catching up to do!

I sat in my van for about five minutes. I thanked God for always pulling me through every hard time I’ve been put in. For bringing me through even though I don’t feel like I’ve gone anywhere at all.

I prayed for the guy that just felt Jesus in his heart for the very first time. I begged that I never forget how Blessed I am in the midst of all of my troubles because I’ve never known a day without my Father.

And as I was getting ready to start my car…WAY-FM began to echo from the garage.

My tire blew out. I was scared. I was alone. I was kept company. I was abandoned by my help. I was inconvenienced.

I was never alone.

I was exactly where I needed to be. Exactly when I needed to be there. All so the life of a stranger could be saved by song.

Oh yes. There are often times when my beach only has one set of prints in the sand…I am being carried to the moment I need to be in.

I wasn’t being carried because my burden was too heavy to bear. I was being carried because there was man that needed to know his burdens were.

What you guys do is amazing. The power of music is amazing!! Thank you for everything you do every day to bring Christ to people that normally wouldn’t hear or know the promises of our God. Incredible. I pray that thousands more find their way to Him through you.

Be Blessed in every moment,

Lacey

 

 

Thanks for making moments like this possible.