God’s Provision & The Bike

     God’s Provision & The Bike

    About 12 years ago my family and I found ourselves in tremendous financial trauma. The East side car audio store that I owned wound up failing (due to both internal theft and economic downturn) and we wound up almost 250k in debt. I had no reasonable ability to pay off our debts—but I was trying to hold onto my faith in God’s love and provision in the midst of tremendous adversity. It was during this time period that my son, Izzy, (at that time 9 years old) came to me with excitement after seeing a “dual suspension” mountain bike at Wal-Mart that he wanted. That year Izzy had grown 5 inches and the previous “kids” bike he had was so small for him that he was unable to even peddle without his knees hitting the handlebars. He wanted to go bike riding with his neighborhood friends but was unable to go out with them as his growing frame could no longer fit. "Dad," he exclaimed with excitement, “The bike I want is ONLY $150.00!” But I didn't have enough money that year to afford Christmas “cards” for my kids, let alone a $150.00 bicycle! I went into that Christmas season feeling like a complete failure. Like many men, at that time I derived my identity out of my job and my role as the provider for my family. That was a role that I felt I was failing miserably at. My son really wanted/needed that bike. It was a valid request that I was unable to provide for him. How could I purchase a bike when I was 60 days late on my mortgage and my family was facing the fear of foreclosure? I went into my room and poured my heart out to God that night. I vented, cried, yelled and told Him how I powerless I felt. I asked Him why all this was happening to me and where was He in the midst of all of this pain?

   A few weeks later I was sitting at my one remaining retail store hoping to sell something that season. I had shelves of dusty electronics that I wanted to sell but was severely lacking in customers. Late one afternoon a gentleman walked in and asked to speak to the owner of Soundsational. I told him I was the owner (expecting that he was either a salesman or a bill collector of some sort) and he introduced himself. He told me that his name was Larry B. and  that he had purchased an alarm from us a few months prior for his company van and loved the quality of the workmanship at my store. He then told me that he wanted to buy a larger audio/video/security system for his wife’s minivan as a Christmas present. Larry wanted to know if I would consider “bartering” for a stereo system? He told me that he was sales representative for Raleigh bicycles and wanted to know if I would ever consider trading car audio equipment for bikes? My mouth dropped when he told me this. I knew that this was not a coincidence! Larry probably didn't understand at the time why I started wiping tears from my eyes--but my realization of God's provision and love for me was overwhelming. I wound up doing a large audio system in Larry’s wife’s van that Christmas. That year I didn't get my son that $150.00 Wal-Mart bike, instead, I got Izzy a $650.00 Univega dual suspension bike. I got both my daughters new Raleigh bikes; I got a bike for me and my wife (at the time) as well. Even though I didn't have the ability or resources to take care of myself or my family—my Heavenly Father had MORE than enough resources to take care of all of us.

Matthew 7:9-11 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

Daneille Snowden [Blog Editor]: Brian and I are friends from our high school youth group and had recently reconnected on facebook. Also, I was there when he first accepted Christ in 1982 at a Keith Green concert. I have been following his Facebook posts on his journey back into intimacy with God and offered to share them on a blog.