Episode Transcript
It's all too often said that there are no miracles performed these days. Therefore I challenge this idea with my story of the radiator hose. Welcome to miracles in the 21st century.
I'm Dr. John Ashton. I remember a number of years ago I was scheduled to take a lecture at 5:30 but I had no lectures during that day.
And so I was working on a project at home and I'd left it to the last minute to leave to get to the college in time for me to give my lecture at 5:30. And as I'd set off, as I said, with just enough time to drive into the college and park my car and get to the lecturer which I already had prepared. I was driving along the freeway when suddenly I heard a hissing sound and steam become began coming out from under the bonnet of my car.
And I knew what that meant. I immediately pulled off to the side of the road so that I didn't cook the engine from loss of water and open my bonnet of the car. Now the car at the time I was driving was a Leyland Marina which was an English made car.
They were considered a bit of a joke car but they weren't very exp. And in actual fact they were quite reliable. So as I lifted the bonnet I could see that the upper radiator hose had burst, steam was pouring out of it and of course I didn't have any spare hoses and I was wondering what was I going to do.
Because we lived in the country, there was no bus service home. My lecture and the prac class that followed that I supervised finished about 9:00 at night. And thoughts were running through my mind.
How am I going to get into work? How am I going to get home? What am I going to do? And then suddenly I had this really distinct impression. Hitchhike now. And of course that was back in the days when it was still legal to hitchhike.
So I just turned around and held out my thumb in the direction I was going and there was just one car coming up the freeway at that particular time in the afternoon at that moment. And the driver saw me and pulled over and I ran up to the car and I said excuse me, can you give me a lift into Hobart, which is where I was travelling to, setting was in Tasmania. And he said yeah sure friend, what's the problem? I said oh, I've got a burst radiator hose.
And he said well I might be able to help you. And I said well you know, I don't think you'll be able to because it's just not a normal piece of radiator hose. In these particular engines, the upper, the top radiator hose had vulcanised into the actual hose itself, a smaller hose, which was the heater hose as well.
So this particular hose that burst was not just like a length of hose with an opening either end, it had a T piece with a smaller hose coming out the side of it. So it was quite unique. Anyway, the guy came down, had a look at it and said, well, I actually think I've got one of these.
And I thought to myself, this is impossible. And we went back to his car and there on the passenger side floor were a pile of radiator hoses. And I said, what's happening? And I forget the actual story, the reason, but apparently he'd acquired, you know, an old box of radiator hoses from somewhere that he was cleaning out or something like that.
And we looked through it and sure enough, there was a radiator hose with a vulcanised T piece in that fitted my Leyland Marina car. And I guess within five minutes we had the radiator hose on and I took a screwdriver to undrew the clamps and replace it. And just 100 metres or so further down, there was a culvert with water in it where I was able to fill up a container that I happened to have in the car and top up my water and actually get to work on time.
And so I think, when we think about, and I've often thought about this, you know, what's the probability of a car coming past at just the right time that I break down with this unique part sitting on the floor spare at just the right time that enabled me to get to work on time? In my view, miracles still do happen. And I have many stories that I can share along that line. And to me they emphasise the faith that there is an amazing creator God who made us.
I'm Dr. John Ashton. Have a great day.
