When God Moved the Heat Gauge

March 7, 2023 - by Jim Kilmer

I loaded the tough little car with supplies in Portland. It was a hot day. The trunk and back seat were full. Books and materials filled the passenger side of the front seat as well. The fliers, signs, books, and Bibles were heavy. It was vital to get these materials into the hands of volunteers so they could begin placing yard signs and passing out brochures. We had a mailing deadline in order to get the brochures out in time for people to plan to attend the meeting.

The needle on the temperature gauge of the Peugeot moved quickly to the red zone declaring danger of an overheated engine. I had eighty-five miles to drive and no time to stop if I were to be at my strategic planning meeting on time. If the gathering were cancelled it would disrupt the vital flow of timing for advertising.

If there were no delays or heavy traffic, and if I traveled as fast as the law would allow, I could possibly drive to the Corvallis Church from Portland in time. Everything must click like clockwork.

While the car was in motion air had moved through the radiator so the fan was not needed. This gave more power and better fuel efficiency on the highway. When the car stopped, however, a heat switch was designed to trip the fan on to keep the engine cool. Since the engine heated with each stop, I knew that the switch was not working. I had multiple stops in Portland. The idling engine heated quickly at each stop.

I tried turning off the engine then starting it quickly when the light turned green, all the time mentally calculating the time it would take to drive the 85 miles to Corvallis. Traffic situations did not always allow the best timing. The engine continued to heat up until the radiator pressure cap released with hot water and steam bursting all over the engine through the overflow tube.

I stopped and ran cold water on the radiator to cool it down to the point where I could remove the cap and fill it. It was essential to keep the engine running while filling in order to keep from cracking the block with shock cooling. All this took time and I realized that I would need to take a shortcut in order to get to the meeting on time.

After a few more stops I finally reached the highway with speed enough for impact air to cool the radiator. I realized, however, that I would need to drive through a small town with numerous stop lights on the shortcut. With slower speeds on the shortcut road the needle moved toward the red zone again. I knew the blowing steam and loss of coolant would follow.

To make matters worse it was getting dark and the instrument lights must have been on the same circuit as the clutch fan switch, for they were not working either. I prayed, “Lord I know I should have kept this car in better repair, but I simply can’t be late for that meeting. I ask You to work a miracle and as You turned the sun dial back for Joshua, please turn that instrument needle backward as I stop for these lights. Oh, and please have it read normal as I pass under the last street light, so I can be confident to drive the rest of the way to the meeting.”

I waited at the first stop. The overhead streetlight illuminated the instrument panel. I noticed that the needle on the water temperature indictor had not passed the red mark to the pin. At the next light it had moved lower. Rather than rising higher as it had all day, each stop revealed a lesser reading. When I waited at the final stop the overhead street light beamed down on the temp gauge, which had miraculously dropped to the normal range as I had somehow expected it would.

I drove the last 50 miles without worry and arrived just in time for the meeting. The next day I was elated. I told myself, “I am never going to worry about that car again. I will go merrily about the Lord’s work and leave the car to Him.” It was a cool morning. I jumped in the Peugeot and headed for the church. I had scarcely moved beyond the driveway, when the needle hit the red and the radiator boiled over. Needless to say I learned not to ask God to make up for my foolishness. I got the problem fixed. I realized, however, what a miracle God had performed for his less-than-perfect servant.