Doug Batchelor The Richest Caveman, Part 4

Hitchhiking, a once-popular form of transportation, is actually banned in several states. But fortunately for Doug, it was not banned in Oklahoma.

After surviving the Flint School storm, Doug returned to his father’s home for the holiday break. He knew (and so did the captain) that he was not going back aboard that ship. But his father thought otherwise. So when it came time for school to start up again, Doug sold whatever belongings he had to his brother and took off for Palm Springs, California.

He had a plan. He was going to find God in nature. And what better way to do that than in the beautiful desert mountains of the West Coast?

First though, he made a stop in Virginia to visit some friends and promptly lost all of his newly acquired cash to pool and alcohol. Old habits die hard. He made it as far as Oklahoma, but there he remained, broke and stuck—two things that were definitely not in his original plan.

He was a pitiful sight on the side of Interstate 40, dressed for hot Miami in the dead of a “Sooner State” winter. After eight solid hours and no ride, Doug was frozen, sick, and defeated. Finally, even though he knew it would probably not do any good, even though he had been so awful to so many people and did not deserve any mercy, he decided to pray.

He had four very specific petitions: a ride, food, money, and lastly, for that ride to be with a relatively harmless, mentally sound person. His prayer was answered.

The man who picked him up was a born-again Christian who drove him all the way to his destination, all 2,000 miles of it. Doug, the perfect captive audience, was forced to listen to the man’s preaching day after day. Along the way, the man paid for every one of Doug’s meals, and when they finally arrived in Palm Springs, he gave Doug $40. Doug was floored. All four of his requests had been met. God had taken care of it all—God had taken care of him—and had given him even more than he had been expecting!

But Doug was only just beginning to experience God’s abundant mercy.

Reflect: Has the Lord been waiting patiently for you to notice Him? His persistent love is beyond anything you’ll find in this world.

Key Bible Texts

And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him. (Isaiah 30:18 KJV)