This is a true story about how God orchestrates events on earth. This action thriller reminds us how the people and things we encounter help steer us toward our destiny.
This is a true story of how God used Robert Hale, now the President of Withered Hand Ministries, Inc., to minister the gospel in the late 1990s as on-the-road chaplains to a lost and hurting world.
Robert and I worked for the same company and met in southern New Jersey. We had some time left on our run and decided to stop at a nearby truck stop to get lunch.
While we were at the restaurant, we talked about people with a zeal for the work of God, and the subject of General George Patton's faith and divine design came up. General Patton was a rough individual who commanded an armored tank division in World War Two and fought his way into Germany.
We discussed his life, and I told Robert, "They had to run Patton out of gas to stop him, or otherwise he would go and would not quit till he got the job done."
I then explained that some churches today are like that. They would not give young ministers any (gas) support even if they had only messed up once in their ministry.
Robert looked confused, so I explained that God has called on people like us who are barely known because we have braved the storms of life.
Robert, we are driving these big eighteen-wheelers and giving the messed-up people gas! By that, I meant that we encourage those who have messed up to run to the Savior for forgiveness and work to disciple them back into their ministry calling.
After we finished our meal, we walked around the convenience side of the restaurant when I was suddenly drawn to an elderly driver who said his last name was Patton. The Holy Spirit confirmed that I needed to minister to him.
That very night, Brother Patton rededicated his life and received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Months later, I took Robert and a few others, including recording artist Tony Malone, to meet my dear friend Brother Mark Crouch, the General Manager of the Trinity Broadcasting Network in Greenwood, Indiana.
We were doing a taping with the Christian truckers and the Christian motorcycle groups around the Indianapolis area.
Robert and I decided to park our big rigs for the night at the nearby Flying J Truckstop, and while inside the restaurant to get something to eat, we met Mr. General Patton again. He informed us that his life had never changed since he met us in New Jersey.
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