#30 Lac Waswasipi, QC: Journey Mercies OR When a Flat Tire is a Full Blessing

Alfred, a local Cree man, said he had been hitchhiking about half an hour when we picked him up.  It's a good think we did because the flies here have an exclusively carnivorous diet.  We were able to bless Alfred with a ride, some snacks, and some bug spray.  We got some valuable information in return.  I had seen a possible campsite about 10 kilometers off the highway and wondered whether the road was passible and if we'd be allowed to camp there.  He gave me an affirmative on both counts.  The road WAS drivable (just) and the campsite was beautiful.  We got to see both sunset and sunrise over the still waters of Lac Waswasipi.



Forty years ago, I was the one who was hitchhiking in Quebec and heading westward.  A guy stopped for me on the outskirts of Montreal because he was hoping I'd be able to direct him out of the city.  That seemed a little funny because we were basically out of town already.  But for a bit of information of dubious value, I got myself a long ride towards Manitoba.

I had been sleeping for awhile in the passenger's seat and had just woken up to resume chatting with Jeff, when something strange happened.  Jeff's head jerked to the left and he stared straight out of his side window.  I asked, "Jeff what are you looking at?" because it looked like he had seen a ghost or something.  He wouldn't answer.  The cigarette fell out of his mouth and he kept staring.  I was crying for God's protection because by now we were wandering into the oncoming lane.  Finally I grabbed the wheel and tried to wrestle us back into our lane which wasn't easy because Jeff was completely rigid.  I managed to get my foot over onto the brake and brought us to an undignified stop on the shoulder.  By this time Jeff was shaking violently.  

I threw the car into park and frantically flagged down another vehicle.  Between me and the other driver, we dragged Jeff over and deposited him in the passenger's seat.  I took the wheel and followed the good Samaritan to a hospital in North Bay, Ontario.  When all the tests were done and Jeff was diagnosed with having had his first ever epileptic seizure, the doctor said, "I'm not sure I believe in God, but Somebody was definitely looking out for you."  The string of miracles had started with Jeff being 'lost' when he really wasn't.

The most obvious example on our present journey of God's intervention was at a four-way stop in southern Ontario.  I had stopped well short of the stop line because I noticed a semi with two trailers starting to make a left-hand turn in front of me.  The trucker way misjudged his radius and was going to take out the front of poor Vincent Van Go.  With skill I didn't possess, I glanced behind me while simultaneously throwing the RV into reverse.  I managed to back up fast enough to watch the second semi trailer slide by Vincent's bumper.

I'm guessing a mechanic of average intelligence would say you shouldn't take a geriatric motorhome on a 14,000 km journey around the backroads of Canada.  But this RV is all we had for a mission we felt God leading us on.  I take comfort from the story of God's care on another lengthy journey of His design: "During the forty years that I led you Israelites through the wilderness, the sandals on your feet never wore out."

One of Vincent's sandals actually did wear out in Labrador.  By the time the day was over I'm glad it did.  I noticed a thumping as I slowed down for a rest stop.  On examining the flat on an inside dual, and thinking back to another noise I had heard on the road, I must have been driving that way for an hour.  What if the outside dual had blown with the extra weight on it?  What could I have done then?  As it was I realized right away that my bottle jack was inadequate for getting the RV high enough.  Just then a big-hearted Newfoundlander pulled over to see if he could help.  Even after it started to rain, THAT good Samaritan stuck with me until my spare was on.  

It was still over an hour to Goose Bay.  Would we get there before quitting time on a Friday?  I determined as we drove that I would buy tires for all four duals if I could find them.  The right tire isn't always easy to find in Winnipeg, never mind Labrador.  And a standard garage won't work on an RV.  It has to be a truck garage.  It was almost 5:00 by the time we got to town.  The first place we stopped made a quick phone call.  "Go straight to K & K Dawe Trucking.  They have a tire."  

We got there as they were starting to close up shop.  "Do you happen to have four tires?"  "I thought you needed one.  But yes, I have four.  I only have time to change the flat though."  Gerard hadn't worked long when for some reason he said, "If you can take off the other hub cap, I'll do them all."  On examining the other vintage tires, Gerard said he doubted they would have made it to Lab City.  And that was a decent highway.  Imagine the road heading south after that?  If we hadn't had that flat tire right there where we had a string of miraculous provisions ... yeah, I don't want to think about it.  But I suppose there aren't really any "what if's" when we're following God's leading, right?

The first person I wanted to tell of our flat-tire adventure was Art.  My brother-in-law has made it his daily mission to pray for Vincent Van Go's mechanical health.  God has heard you, Art, and poured out his mercies.


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