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The Ripple Effect

Writer's picture: Jane WheelerJane Wheeler


Oh these folks are having a bad day!


On the weekend we stopped for a couple that was having a heck of a time at the side of the road. Yes, we do stop a lot for others, I have previously mentioned that for each situation, we pray, and if God says to stop, we do! You never know it could just be that it is for that very situation that you happened to be on that road, at that place, at that time.


I was reading yesterday that for every situation when we pray, God has to move time and space to get just the right people, at the right time, to the right place. There are so many components that one thing out of sync could deter the event or the chance meeting from happening. God basically moves the universe to arrange these encounters, just for you.


Imagine if we didn’t stop, where would all our great blog stories come from?


Their trailer had come off the chassis and broken the hitch and it was dead on the road but still attached to the truck. They told us that the person who was driving beside them “just happened” to see the trailer break and got their attention to pull over before a truly horrific accident could occur. She and I believe this could possibly have been an angel, it was for sure a miracle, one of many, from God.


Turns out these dear folks are originally from the USA and have been missionaries in the Yukon and NWT since 1989, that is now their home. They are faithful servants of God who have given their life to serving others. They are head of the Points North Baptist Mission in Inuvik, NWT.


They were driving to the states so that she could meet the surgeon who is going to perform 2 hip replacements as the wait in the North has been long, since 2019 and instead of one hip, it is now become 2 because the other hip gave out while waiting for the 1st hip to be done. She was informed by the surgeon up north a couple weeks ago that it would be another 18-24 months wait.


Getting into a surgeon even in the states was a miracle – as a man who has a son in charge of the surgery department was able to get her in, he happens to go to their old church and when the Pastor asked them to pray about this circumstance, this man raised his hand. Coincidence or God? I know what I think!


We wanted to help them somehow and were not sure how. They needed a special tow trailer. We did what we could and then we rallied the troops: we got a whole lot of folks praying and requesting that God would intervene in their situation. God always answers prayer!


We went into Gr. Prairie and left them waiting for the tow truck. On our way back we found them still there and stopped again.


The tow truck driver was waiting for someone to come from his company and help him get the trailer off the truck. Brian was able to help because he has some experience in tow trucks but also in the moving and transporting of things (as he moves huge machinery for a living). Coincidence or God that we were there, and Brian was able to help?




Well, we ended up chatting and you know how you meet someone and feel like you just know them. I find in the family of God that is often the way it goes; it was like that.


The Flynn tow truck crew were so amazing, they set up the trailer in their yard and allowed this couple to stay in it, complete with electricity until their trailer could go to a shop (it went yesterday) and they towed it over for them. Shout out to Flynn Towing!


They are now in Gr. Prairie at a hotel waiting for their trailer to be worked on so they can resume their trip. She was able to move her appointment back to June 13 to allow them a bit more time to get there. If you are the praying type, I am sure more prayer for this couple would be absolutely appreciated.


As we drove home Brian said this to me:

When you come across a problem and you are not sure what to do, and you start praying, it is like when you throw a rock in the water and there is the ripple effect. The rock plops in the middle and rings of water spread out from the center creating a ripple effect. By offering up a prayer, it is the rock and when you throw it into the water, God takes over and the ripples are caused by God’s direction, the wake of God’s hands.



But when you get others praying, it is like throwing a handful of rocks into the water and getting huge, multiple ripple effects. You feel relieved that there are so many ripples all offering up prayers for the same thing.


Our Pastor Greg on Sunday gave us the illustration of the oxen and the yoke, the story that Jesus taught in the Bible. Matthew 11:29-30. He was using the analogy of being “yoked” to Jesus so that Jesus does the heavy pulling, and you walk along beside Him, more as a companion rather that a “lifter”.


When you throw a handful of rocks in the water, the heavy pulling is distributed equally, allowing each person to walk easily because the “weight” is being shared. That is how it should be, the Bible gives instructions to believers that we each should carry each other’s burdens.


If one person feels sad, it affects us all.


If one person is happy, we rejoice with them.


If one person is grieving, we grieve with them.


If one person is singing, we sing along.


The body in the following scripture is an illustration of the church: “But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” 1 Corinthians 12: 24 – 26


In an ideal world this would be the way, families, churches, friends all work, together. But this is not an ideal world, and it does not always happen this way, in or out of the church. When it does…. It is a truly beautiful thing.


I want to thank the people who have been praying for this couple and I know they thank you as well. They have stated that while they do not know the reason this has happened, they are in a state of calm and peace, because they know God is ultimately in control. He has done so many miracles along the way, they cannot doubt it. Neither of us believe in coincidences, only in the divine hand of Almighty God, leading us along our way and accompanying us on the journey and as we bump into each other along the path, it is simply more evidence in divine intervention.


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1 Comment


va.barbados
va.barbados
Jun 01, 2023

Jane! Thanks so much for this timely message from you….reminding us all of the ripple effect of prayer. I loved the part about “bumping into each other” in our daily stroll….~V

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