Monday, May 15, 2006



MONDAY MEMORIES--July 1988

As I have been searching for something for todays Monday Memories I wondered have I told you about the time when my husband won a car for our family? No, I don't think that I have.

Back in Illinois, we had a radio station there that everyone listened too..WJBC. It gave you the weather every day and let you know when the next tornado was coming down your road!! (which they did often)

They ran a contest for a long, long time. The station gave out cards to their listeners and on each card there was a number. On certain days they would randomly pick a number. On this particular week they were drawing for a car. Mike and I were putting three kids through Christian schools and never really had a decent car. Ours was either very, very, old or looked like it was ready for the "car cemetery" (whatever that is).

Friday I had to take Mike to work because our one vehicle that he had used for work was not running and the one I used to take the kids to school was "just working". The radio was going in and out with all kinds of other things going on.

That evening after I got the kids home I went back and picked up Mike at work. He told me that WJBC was giving away a car and it would be great if we could win it. We both checked our numbers and got in the car to come home. We had the radio on...but remember it was not working well and kept going in and out...in and out!!

We heard them announce the number...Number 5979!! The radio went out and then came back on while they announced that number one more time. I yelled at Mike and he said...quietly...that is our number!! We had to find a pay phone (no cell phones in 1988...remember!!

Our next problem was a quarter!! We searched and searched for one and finally found ONE!! We pulled into a phone booth that was on a busy corner. Mike calmly called WJBC (you only had 10 minutes to call). Mike said, "I think we have won the car." I am jumping in the background and yelling my head off. People are coming to a stop at the four way!! As I said most of the small city listened to this particular radio station. Finally, people realized that what they were listening too was what they were seeing....people starting honking their horns and some pulled over to congratulate us!!

The announcer on the phone heard me yelling and wanted to talk to me!! Mr. calm, My husband was not fun for him to talk to I guess!! I was so excited!! Those of you that really know me would know that!! I told him that it was an answer to prayer....which it was...I was so happy!! A new car!! We had never had one and now maybe this would help us get ahead for a change!!

We had a choice between a 1987 Sable or a little Mercedes...now which one do you think a family of 5 would choose!! Yeap the Sable!! We were so happy to have won it!!

We found out a couple of days later that we were going to have a a lot of taxes to pay. When we went in to settle on it we had both decided that we would not take it because we would not be able to afford it. The man that owned the dealership was a Christian. When he heard my comment on the radio station about it being an "answer to prayer" he decided to pay all of the taxes except our income taxes (of course) We were just so relieved and knew that God was working for us to finally have a car and a new one at that!!

We ordered a special license plate for that car....THISWE1 (This we one)!! We kept that car for a long time and it made a great trade for us. I hated to see it go. God works even in cars you know......What a blessing!!!

3 comments:

Julie said...

i remember where i was when you told me about that car...bergners working...Nice picture:) The girls didn't think it was gma and gpa...lol:)

YellowRose said...

Very cool! Winning a car when your really need one is definitely an answer to prayer! Great memory!!

My MM is up!

Melli said...

That is awesome! I won money from a radio station a few years ago - and I was pretty darned excited too! I don't do the Monday Memories thing ... but I may post a memory anyway one of these days! Winning a car is FABULOUS though! And I'm sure God did have His hand in that! Just AWESOME!

Oh... I like your new flip flop handbag too!