Be Careful What You Wish For!

Be Careful What You Wish For

Nancy Leeder

There is a saying my mother often repeated when I was a teenager. “Be careful what you wish for. You may get it.” At the time, it didn’t make any sense to me, so I walked away rolling my eyes at her comment. Now, as an adult, I realize she was much wiser than I gave her credit for, as I recall her sayings.

Many years later, I moved to Arizona and had to manage my finances independently. After finding an apartment and starting college classes, I realized how tight my budget was, leaving very little money for gas or food.

I prayed every night, asking God to show me how to manage my finances. I didn’t want to quit college. The new car payments were the most significant issue; however, I needed the car to get to campus and to my full-time job as a certified nursing assistant. The struggle continued to the point that I wondered if God was even hearing my prayers.

I had an errand to run for my second job, managing the apartment complex where I was living. The errand was to drop off some paperwork at a local grade school. A simple task, however, it was an unexpected answer to my prayers, although not in a way that I thought it would.

I went inside the grade school building and found the person to hand the paperwork to, believing I was going to work. I was told at the office that the children were excited to meet the All-Star Basketball player from the University of Arizona. The team unexpectedly won the game against a worthy opponent, and the big star was expected to arrive at any minute.

I started my car and pulled up to the driveway to make a left-hand turn toward the main street. As my front tires touched the street, I heard a scream to my right, so I slammed on my brakes. The Basketball player had arrived, and a student ran into the street to greet the basketball star.

My car was halfway into the street when I heard screeching tires to my left. A young girl was driving too fast when she turned onto the side street and collided with the front of my car. The teacher came running over to me to make sure I was okay. The teacher said that if my car had not been in the street, the child and the basketball player would probably not be alive. She expressed her gratitude to God for saving the child and the basketball player and was sorry my car had been hit.

My car was totaled, and I was unhurt except for a bit of whiplash. As I sat on the ground waiting for my car to be towed away, it dawned on me. God took care of my car payment and saved the lives of two people in one car accident. I had to chuckle because my mother’s words came back to me, “Be careful what you wish for, you just may get it.”

Today, I think long and hard before I make a wish because there are many ways my wish can be answered. Some of the ways may be more challenging, yet it's a blessing to know that two people may be living today because of the sacrifice of my car. The insurance paid off the car, leaving me with a bit of money to purchase an old car with cash. No more car payments! My prayers were answered.