Tales from the Summer Book Tour--"The Elko Miracle"

By David Hobbs

I arrived in Elko, Nevada about 11:30 a.m. to do a book signing at 1:00 and meet a “Pastor Marsh” afterward for dinner and a home group meeting about my book. But all the contact information was on my Book Tour Calendar on the web, and my new iPhone couldn’t access it. Meanwhile, it was starting to rain. Now what?
I cruised the main street in the misty rain, looking for at least the bookstore.
Since I was there last, Elko had grown and spread out all over the place. After 15 minutes of fruitless cruising to the end of town and part way back, all the time praying for the Holy Spirit to guide my steps, I saw a Mexican restaurant. “I should at least stop in for lunch,” I thought. (Back in Reno I had stopped into a Mexican restaurant for dinner before a book signing and it had been a God thing—the proprietor had bought a copy of my book sight unseen as soon as he found out why I was in town. Maybe this Mexican restaurant would be God-blessed as well.)
As I was waiting at the counter to order, the people sitting at the table beside me held hands and began praying out loud over their food. “Hmm, not many Christians are that courageous.” After placing my order and finding a table, I felt a measure of boldness come over me. “What the heck?” I walked up to their table and asked if they were Christians. (Duh!) They affirmed it. I gave them my name. The man sitting closest to the counter looked puzzled. “David Hobbs? David Hobbs? Where do I know that name from?” Then he introduced himself, “My name’s Marsh, Pastor John Marsh!” God led me right to the man I needed! He told me where the bookstore was. I’d passed it without seeing it, one block up the street!