A hit and run accident in a Paris taxi confirmed the prayer warrior and revealed the skeptic. Sadly, I was the skeptic.
I had just spent two weeks in Moldova teaching a class at the Moldova Bible Seminary. My friend Lisa traveled with me. On our way home we had the fun blessing of spending two days and three nights in Paris to do some sightseeing.
After landing at Charles de Gaulle Airport and picking up our bags at the carousel, we bought our museum passes and bus tickets at the tourism desk. The nice lady there warned us to make sure we used only official Paris taxis and pointed us toward the taxi stand.
Our taxi driver – who did speak a little English – loaded our bags and we settled into the back seat for the ride into the city. About 20 minutes later, as we cruised down the four-lane highway, we felt a jolt and heard that ugly metal on metal sound. Lisa began to pray fully trusting God would protect and provide.
With rush-hour traffic continuing to pour past us, we stopped and our driver rolled his window down to talk to the offending driver. They decided to get the cars off to the shoulder and talk again. We limped across four lanes of traffic only to discover the other driver had simply gone on his merry way.
Our driver got out to access the damage. Back right quarter panel – smashed. Right rear tire – busted. He returned to the driver’s seat and announced he had to get off the highway and change the tire. He would call us another taxi. I worried that this little drama could be an elaborate ruse to rob two naïve American tourists.
We thumped off the closest exit and pulled over to the side. The driver opened the trunk and deposited our luggage on the sidewalk. Less than a minute later, another taxi pulled to the curb right behind us. “How convenient,” I think. “Wow, praise God! He sure answered our prayers quickly,” Lisa declared.
We showed the new driver the address of our hotel and he loaded our luggage. With every turn on an unknown Paris street I pray “Lord, protect us.” Lisa prayedz, “Lord thank you for providing this second taxi.”
Later Lisa and I compared notes on the event. She told me what she had been thinking and I told her what I had been thinking. I felt a bit spiritually weak for not trusting God more. Why couldn’t I simply believe and obey Philippians 4:6?
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Philippians 4:6, NLT
I learned a good lesson that day. I really do need to trust God more. However, God’s faithfulness is also not a license to act foolishly. When Jesus sent out the twelve disciples out on their first mission trip He warned them:
“Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.” Matthew 10:16, NLT
God is faithful and can be trusted. It’s also a dangerous world. I’m sure there are people in Paris who do rob American tourists. So here’s what I believe to be a biblical conclusion to the matter: Pray about everything and trust God like my friend Lisa, but keep my eyes open and don’t act foolishly.
Are you a prayer warrior or a prayer skeptic? I would love to hear about a time when God proved Himself faithful to you.
So glad you both made it safely to your destination! Sometimes it is difficult to trust God, but it is in those times – when our faith is challenged – that it can grow the most! I think that God allows those challenges into our lives just for that purpose. And so, even though the rough times are not “fun” the blessing of a stronger faith that we receive through them is more than worth it!
Living for Him, Joan
Joan, you are so right!