Rachel Hamilton

Third Sunday in Advent: The third candle in the Advent wreath represents Joy. The third candle takes us back to the joyful anticipation of the shepherds who journeyed to Bethlehem. Called the “Shepherd’s Candle,” we light this on Gaudete Sunday (meaning rejoice or praise) and rejoice like the shepherds.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,

who have been called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28

In November of 2023, my husband, Sterling, and I took a road trip to visit Wilmington, NC. I was about to graduate from nursing school and had a job offer here, but we didn’t know anything about the city or anyone in it. Truthfully, we had found Wilmington by searching for beach towns with a Trader Joe’s in the Southeast.

About an hour outside of Wilmington, I was on the phone with a friend and the phone call dropped. Not even 10 seconds later, my dependable Honda Accord that I always brag about failed me. It came to a screeching halt on the interstate, and my husband immediately went into driving instructor mode to guide us to safety as the whole car was shaking.

Now, luckily, I married a car guy, so we quickly figured out a bolt had backed out of my brake caliper, and he assured me it would be an easy fix. The only issue was my car was not going to be able to drive to the closest auto parts store.

Right as we discovered we would need a tow truck, one drove past on the road, we waved at him, and he graciously turned around at the next exit to help us. This was our first notable God encounter on the trip.

Our biggest worry was finding a way to meet some of the local community to see if Wilmington was a good environment for us. God’s presence met us where we were at, and God revealed His wonderful works to us through this seemingly unfortunate situation.

After getting towed to Leland, the search for a simple bolt that any auto parts store should carry turned into a wild goose chase that prompted us to leave the car and Uber around town. Little did we know, Ubering was the way in which we would interact with the community, which was a humbling reminder that God’s plan is always better than our own. While ubering, we met a pastor, made connections to nurses in the area, and had nothing but joyful interactions.

The next day, we confirmed the bolt was in fact at the auto parts store the entire time, so we were able to Uber back and fix the car in under five minutes. Initially, I found myself frustrated that we had spent all this time working on car troubles instead of seeing the city we might move to, but then we realized God was at work the entire time. None of it made sense.

My car was just in the shop the week before getting work done on the brakes, so how did they not see the loose bolt? How did the auto parts store not realize they had a very standard bolt until the next day? The answer was simple. God saw the bigger picture that we couldn’t see in the moment. We have a narrow view of the world, but God’s view surpasses time, circumstances, and location. It was the interactions with our Uber drivers that convinced us to move to Wilmington, which has brought an immense amount of joy to our lives.

As we continue through this season of Advent, I challenge you to look for God where you least expect Him. He is present and He is working for your good even if it might not appear so on the surface. God is the source of our joy.

Loving God, draw near to us this day, help us to recognize and abide in Your presence, and experience the joy that stems from knowing and loving You. Amen.

- Rachel Hamilton