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Stories of Faith for Inspiration and Proof that God can be Trusted Completely

Friends and family called him Phil; business associates called him Bill. He was a brilliant older gentleman, highly esteemed in the world of metallurgy. He had helped NASA with a rocket welding problem and made the final welds at top of the famous Saint Louis Gateway Arch. I had the honor of being both his friend and business associate…so I called him Phil-Bill.

On long business trips together he shared stories with me about his life. He was a survivor of multiple car crashes and other tragedies. In every instance, he would always point out how God had protected him because in the natural realm, he really should have been killed.  One of his stories has stayed with me over the years—perhaps because it illustrates the simplicity of his faith.

As a young salesman getting established, Phil-Bill traveled a lot. Occasionally, he barely had enough money to get from one place to the next, hoping for a sale. Such was the case one lonely afternoon. He had only enough to pay for his stay at the hotel but not enough to buy food. He sat there on his bed, lonely, hungry and a bit despairing.

These were times long ago, and the hotel room had a rickety old bed, noisy springs, hardwood flooring, and a vent above the door frame that slanted into the room. Turning to the Lord, Phil-Bill got on his knees beside the bed.

“Dear Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank you that I’m yours, but Father, I am out of money and I’m really hungry.  And …”

His prayer broke off at a loud THUMP right beside his head!  He opened his eyes, and just a few inches away lay a brown paper bag.

Phil-Bill, leaning forward, opened the bag to find a sandwich with an apple. Dumbstruck, he stared at the food. Closing his eyes, and with a smile, he said, “Thank you, Father!”

I remember him telling me it was an excellent sandwich! Later, he found out what happened.  Three gentlemen were standing near his door discussing their lunch plans.  One had a bag lunch; the other two didn’t.  After deciding to go to a restaurant, the man with the lunch just tossed it up through the open vent above Phil-Bill’s door.

Once again, God had taken care of him. He was always telling me that God was faithful, that He was reliable, and could be trusted completely. Phil-Bill lived that simple faith in his life, which was so clearly illustrated by his simple hungry prayer that was answered with a THUMP by his head.

“…for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!”     –Matthew 6:8 (NLT)

Copyright © 2012 by William D. (Nick) Nichols

The following is a true story . . .

My 91-year-old grandmother on my mother’s side was considered by all who knew her a “Prayer Warrior.”  Whenever this thin frail woman would pray, I would always have tears come to my eyes!  No matter what I did, I couldn’t hold them back; she was so connected to the Lord.  But at 91, Granny’s mind was starting to slip around a bit.  Not a lot, but enough to be noticeable.

One day when I got home from school, I found my mother sitting in the living room.  Speaking of her mother, she just kept shaking her head saying, “Poor Mom, poor Mom!”  She was kind of upset and laughing at the same time.

She told me that earlier that day Granny had decided to do her laundry.  With great effort hauling her clothes down the basement steps, bump by bump, she drug them over to the washing machine.  Piling her clothes in, she dumped in the soap and hit start.  She sat down beside the machine to wait since it was easier to do that than climb back up the steps.

Granny sat in Grandpa’s creaky old black chair he used to sit in before he died and started singing hymns as she often did.  Finally, the wash cycle was done, and the machine entered the spin cycle.  That’s when it started–THUMP, THUMP, THUMP–the rhythmic thumping turned into a BANG, BANG, BANGING sound!  Something was off center with her clothes in the old washer, and all the vibration was causing it to bounce around on the bare concrete floor.

This was frightful to Granny!  Somehow she managed to throw her 89-pound little body up and across the top of the washing machine trying to hold down the bucking bull!  And doing what Granny did best, she cried out, “Oh Lord!  Stop my washing machine and help me get my clothes washed! In the name of JESUS, Amen!!”

At that very moment, my mom stepped in the back door of Granny’s house just in time to hear all the banging downstairs and Granny calling out to Jesus!  She scrambled down the stairs to see Granny riding the washing machine!!  She ran over and hit the OFF button and set Granny back into her chair.  My mom started shaking her head and Granny started in to a “Praise Jesus” session for delivering her within minutes of her prayer!

My mom straightened her clothes around so the washer was balanced and stayed with Granny till her clothes were done.  Now sitting at home shaking her head saying, “Poor mom, she couldn’t even think to just turn off the washing machine when it started banging around.”  But I sat there listening in wonder!!

“Mom,” I said, “You got off early from work, something that almost never happens.  You told me you were going to the store but at the last minute decided to stop by and see your mother.  You arrived at the exact time Granny was calling out to Jesus.  And you stayed and washed her clothes.  Her prayer to stop the machine and get her clothes washed was answered!”

My mom and I sat there staring at each other; we had just learned a powerful lesson from Granny.  No matter what–PRAY!

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6,7   (NIV)

Copyright (c) 2009 by William D. (Nick) Nichols