A few years ago, before my husband became a full-time pastor, he was a truck driver. Our son decided to go to truck driving school and follow his dad’s footsteps. We lived in a quiet little neighborhood in Marion, Indiana, and didn’t really see much of our neighbors. The house across the street from us became empty and some people moved in, that were very undesirable neighbors to say the least. There were people coming and going all hours of the day and night, and they were out in the street, fighting and yelling, and the police seemed to do nothing about it.
My husband was getting ready to leave for the week on a truck run and our son was leaving that Sunday night for truck driving school. I was very concerned about being home alone with all that was going on across the street. We went to church on Sunday morning and I asked for prayer, telling the members that I was a little fearful to be alone for the following week. We prayed, and I will tell you that prayer changes things! On Sunday afternoon around 4 pm my son came running through the house saying, “Mom! Mom! The neighbor’s house is burning to the ground!”
No, we did not pray for the house to burn down. We just wanted the people to move out and someone better to move in. My husband was not very encouraging when he said that someone worse may move in! We needed to pray about it!
So, it seems that they were lighting firecrackers and one of them landed on a couch they had put on their front porch. The house burned to the ground, but no one was hurt! I told my husband when God fixes a problem… He does it good! I just thank Him for hearing and answering our prayers.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
Rose McKnight
Bluffton, Indiana