A Frozen Lesson

Learning About Faith

It was sometime around the winter of 1997 or 1998. It’s all really a daze to me, and I’m too lazy to try and calculate the exact date or time.

I can tell you it was frigidly cold and it was night time. I was trying to live my life right although, like most things I try to do I failed often.

I know that seems negative. It is negative. But, it’s 100% true. I have failed at virtually everything I have set my hand to.

Course, it gives me lots of fodder for writing. Which is my way of turning evil into good, or lemons into lemonade.

But seriously, I know I’m negative. My first inclinations are toward negativity and doom. It just happens before I even think about it.

I have to beat my mind into positive thinking, faith and battling thoughts of anxiety.

This is a story about how I have learned to believe. It’s one of many stories, where God taught me about prayer and faith.

I was driving a semi-truck in order to feed my family. It was a job I did after many former failures from drinking.

I was in a northern state. I do not remember which, but it was bitterly cold and I was delivering a load.

I decided I needed to sleep for a while, before continuing on.

So, I pulled into a rest stop. One of those rest areas that states have along interstates.

I set the trailer parking brake. Which is something you are not supposed to do in freezing temperatures.

But, like most things in my life, I ignored the rules because I need to learn for myself. I’m kind of dumb that way.

I climbed into the sleeper berth behind the seats and went to sleep.

A few hours later I woke up and started to head out driving. Snow was flying. It was cold and dark.

But the truck would not move.

The trailer brakes were frozen.

I got on the CB radio and asked for advice from other truckers. Most of them laughed or made jokes, or gave bad advice, like setting the brakes on fire.

So, I tried to drive again. The truck moved forward but was obviously being held back by the brakes.

Now, remember I am in a parking lot. So, none of this is a safety issue.

I prayed about it and tried again but nothing. It was still frozen and still held the truck back.

I yelled and got upset. I had to get this load delivered. It was my job.

So, I prayed again.

I started driving the truck and it was still held back by the frozen breaks. I began to just give up.

But, something told me, or impressed upon me to “Believe”.

It was strong. Whatever it was. So, I did.

I said out loud in the cab of that truck.

“I trust God, I don’t care if this thing rips apart or catches fire, I believe it’s fixed.”

Then, I stomped on the gas and started shifting gears.

I was determined. I fought everything telling me to stop. I forced myself to believe it was fixed no matter what.

And the brakes broke free.

Now we can say they heated up because of the friction of being pulled, and the heat broke it free.

Ok.

But what I learned was that God was with me, despite my failures and dumb actions. He forgave me, despite any sin. I could trust Him and He would answer and protect me. It built my faith.

I also learned to not set the trailer parking brake on a semi-truck when it’s really cold.

We can trust God.

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Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois. He has published in several magazines, and has written a poetry eBook called “Against the Man” and an Addiction Recovery eBook called “Made Free: Overcoming Addiction“  a collection of dystopian short stories.“The Future is Coming” and his latest book “The Latter Days‘ is a book on Bible Prophecy and avoiding the deceptions to come.

Follow Him on Medium: https://chris-bunton.medium.com/

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