Tales From the Summer Book Tour--Crossing Pennsylvania

By David Hobbs

From my folk’s home in Eastern Ohio I had to travel to Eastern Pennsylvania to the town of Westchester to minister in Jerry Schwartz’ church, Living Faith World Outreach Centre [there’s your plug, Jerry!], 385 miles away.

Now I expect spiritual warfare leading up to times of ministry, but this was especially intense. I awoke about 4 in the morning to hear the sound of light rain falling outside our house. When I left home a few hours later, it was still raining lightly, which continued for the 60 miles to the Pennsylvania border. In Pennsyl-vania it quit raining briefly and it looked like all was going to be well. But once on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the skies opened. Soon it was pouring buckets. They were doing extensive construction on the turnpike, and had placed cement barriers on both sides of the lanes, leaving the cars and trucks a 2 lane tunnel to shoot through for miles and miles. But in spite of the downpour and the narrowed driving room, the traffic didn’t slow down a bit. We were all flying along at 65 mph through the torrential downpour with cement barriers to our right and left, and traffic in front and behind.

Once in this condition, it was like somebody turned off the clock and I was stuck in a time warp that went on and on. I was frozen in place, not daring take my eyes off the road or relax my hands’ death-grip on the steering wheel. I kept expecting to drive out in front of the storm, but either it was everywhere, or it was traveling at 65 mph too.

The heavy rain greatly reduced the visibility. The only way I could tell where the traffic was ahead of me was by the moving clouds of white mist. The bigger clouds hid trucks and the smaller ones concealed cars.

“This must have been what happened to me on that fateful drive from Redding to Yreka in my book,” I thought, “where I drove on and on through the thunderstorm that wouldn’t quit.” But there was no thunder in this storm, and I kept moving full speed, pushed by the surrounding traffic.

After 100 miles or so the construction was finally over and we had more breathing room, but the rain continued unabated until I had almost reached Westchester. Then I did just get out in front of the storm and found the church. I was sitting comfortably in Pastor Jerry’s office as the storm barreled through overhead. At the hotel that evening the Lord treated me to a beautiful sunset, He even moved on the desk clerk to upgrade my room to give me a better view of it.

Fast forward from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon. It had been a bang-up 2 days: speaking to the men on Saturday, the whole church on Sunday, powerful times in the prayer room, tours of the fire station, hours spent talking with Pastor Jerry about every possible subject. But now it was Sunday afternoon and I wanted to head for home and save the $100.00 that another night at the local hotel would cost. But after all the excitement, the drive home would be an emotional letdown. I thought if I left right away, I could almost get home before dark,which wouldn't be so bad. But sure enough Jerry asked me out for lunch one more time and I didn’t want to refuse--our times together had been so rich! We had another great time fellowshipping, which meant I wasn’t ready to leave till 4 in the afternoon. Now I wouldn’t get home till close to midnight.

By the end of the first hour on the turnpike I was falling asleep and jerking awake as I drove. Not good! The adrenaline was all gone and I couldn’t stay awake. I pulled into a service plaza for a break. If I was falling asleep now after only an hour while the sun was still shining, what would I do for the rest of the trip? Hmm. That’s a problem. I prayed and asked God for help. No immediate answer came and so I started back towards the turnpike. As I was driving down the onramp, I remembered a CD I had brought along on the tour but had never listened to. It was an instrumental rendition of old hymns like “The Old Rugged Cross.” What the heck? I put it on and started listening. Soon I was caught up and began singing along. As I sang I relived the excitement of the last few days and all the good things God had allowed me to experience. Then the anointing came. Soon I was belting out the songs at the top of my lungs with all my heart—who was there to hear and disapprove out on the open road? Tiredness was banished and the power of God filled me again. After the CD ran through all the songs it simply started over again and I was on my second hour. Afternoon turned into evening which turned into night. From time to time I stopped to use the restroom or get a bite to eat. But as soon as I was back in the car, the music started up again and I was back in the groove. By the time the third round was over, I was approaching Ohio and the glory of God had filled the car and remained for the rest of the trip.

The next morning at breakfast I was telling my mom about all that had happened at the meetings and the church. “Why do you sound so hoarse” she wondered? “Hmm. Must be from too much singing!”

Tales From the Summer Book Tour--"Dental Floss"

By David Hobbs

The Lord is not only involved with the major events of life; He is present in the subplots as well. In fact it’s in the minutiae of our lives that He sometimes surprises us the most. Nothing is too insignificant to Him, not even dental floss.
I started out the book tour with a new container of dental floss, but only the 50 yard size. Since I average 2 ½ feet per daily flossing, it occurred to me early on that it was going to run out before the end of the 90 day tour. Since I flossed late at night when few stores were open, I couldn’t sit back and wait till it ran out. I needed to have more on hand for when that time came. I resolved to buy more the next time I was in a supermarket or drugstore.
But that proved easier said than done. Almost all my shopping was in little convenience stores. I would never think of floss anyway during my busy days driving, doing book signings, meeting pastors…. But every night, the last thing before going to bed, when my eyes rested on that plastic dispenser, the memory came back, “I’ve got to get more dental floss!” This continued for most of the summer. The few times I did get to grocery stores for food, I wouldn’t remember dental floss until that night when I pulled it out again and the thought hit me. “Oh no! And I was at a grocery store today! I’ve got to remember before it runs out.” Yet each night the faithful old container yielded up enough to floss with.
Finally, about mid-August, as I was preparing to leave my folk’s house in Ohio to start back toward Calif. I had a breakthrough. I needed to go to a supermarket for supplies and I was fixed on remembering the floss. I didn’t know why it hadn’t run out already, but there had always been enough for one more night. And this time I did remember!I bought the dental floss and threw it into my cart with the other food supplies for the trip. Glory! I brought most of the stuff into the house except for one small bag that got left in the car. That night I was relieved and happy to think l had made it without running out and at last I was ready for the old roll to expire. But at flossing time I couldn’t find the new roll! I searched and searched until I realized I had left it in the one little bag still in the car. I had showered and wasn’t about to put my clothes back on and go out rummaging around in the dark for it. So close but still not there! But once more the old roll yielded up what I needed.

The next morning I remembered, dropped what I was doing, made a bee-line for the car, grabbed the bag, found the floss and put it with my things in the bathroom.
That night, at long last I was ready. It had taken me almost the whole summer, but there was the new floss container, and the old one still hadn’t run out. I wondered how many times the Lord in His graciousness had had to stretch the floss in the old container while He waited patiently for me to get it together and buy the new one? Night after night when I vowed again to remember and mentally kicked myself for forgetting! Oh well, Praise the Lord. Now that I had the new one in hand, I might as well keep using the old one until it ran out. I picked it up and gave it a pull. The last 3 inches came out and the spool spun freely. The Lord’s timing was perfect once more!

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!