Well? How does God show up to you?
Tonight Ryan, Jane, and I [big bro, sister-in-law, and me] went to Sonic after dinner as a treat for my last night with them. I was very excited. Earlier in the day I had made my first trip to Target since being back in the states and now was enjoying the “essence of the American drive-thru experience.” [Leave the country for 11 months then you’d really understand. For time sake I’ll just assume you understand my refreshed appreciation of the simple luxuries that are now available.] I sipped my Strawberry Limeade. Ryan had a Butterfinger Sonic Blast. Jane enjoyed her Jr. Banana Split with no nuts. We stayed in the car – like you’re supposed to – and shared in laughter and fun of the evening. Ready to head out and the car was not ready. [Did I mention that the Georgia heat had already melted the glue off my rear view mirror leaving it dangling from the roof by a wire?] After trying to start the car again all we got was a weird sound from the CD player. How’s that connected? I think this has happened before – battery problems. I mostly seriously asked Jane to pray over the car to cast out the demon inside. Once the friend, Super-Daniel, got there to help us out the car began again. Prayers answered! I was going to follow him and Ryan back to the house where we could check on it more. I put the car in reverse, looked over my shoulder, and it died. All I could do was slowly coast into another parking spot in the Sonic drive-in. Dang.
The car stayed at Sonic while we sought alternate recovery procedures. Basically, Ryan went to work so Jane and I came back in her car to try and jump mine. Once there I tried to give it another shot. Good idea? Bad idea? Well the car started. We decided to try and make it the two miles back to the house. Alright now, I was driving and Jane was following. This poor situation needed prayer. I began to make up a praise song involving Jesus and my car: “Jesus help my car. Get me home. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus get me home. Oh, Jesus.” [It has a simple melody and I think Chris Tomlin might be interested.] About the time I changed to singing Amazing Grace over my car I get a phone call. Dang. Can’t answer the call ’cause I can’t find the phone in my bag in the passenger seat in the dark. But once I looked up and could tell my lights weren’t on any more I didn’t need to hear what Jane was calling about. I squinted my eyes and, hey there, none of the inside lights were on either. Coasting again, this time on a major road. We had just passed the neighborhoods and I was afraid I’d be stuck in the middle of the road. Oh look, a driveway. [Now, if you were with us the past five days or so you would know that random residential yards are often helpful in a case of emergency pull overs: 13 family members, 3 cars, and 1 flat tire occupied an Atlanta yard for about an hour last Friday.]
New setting – my dead car and Jane’s car in a drive way about a mile from the house. We pull out the jumper cables and attempt to give this a try. [Two chicks who had never done this before…yeah, this is gonna work. ] Before we get ready to start something we really don’t know how to do I try the front door to see who’s home. [I mean, at least warn a brotha’ we’re about to maybe blow something up in their front yard.] No answer. Five cars in the drive way but no answer. Hmm. Fortunately as I’m hooking up the car Larry walks up to us – this interruption probably prevented even more horrible-ness. Larry lives at the house we stopped at. He says he can’t help us but his brother is a “mechanic genius” so he runs to get him. Barry joins the eventful evening. He knew exactly where the batteries [including how to open the hood…step one] were on both vehicles and helped us out with trying to jump start my dead Oldsmobile. After three attempts my car sits stubbornly in the driveway – mocking us now, really. Barry and Larry were being extremely helpful considering one had to wake up early the next morning for work. They offered to chain my car and pull me home. Aside from that idea being illegal [and recognizing the large hills down to our neighborhood] it seemed like a pretty quick and cheap resolution. Um, we called a tow truck. Well, we stood around with Barry and Larry for a while until calling the insurance company that could get us a tow truck in the area…45 minutes to an hour. Since we already interrupted their evening long enough we assured Barry and Larry they could go to bed and we’d just wait for the tow truck to get there. [Though they were appreciative that we gave them a story to tell at work the next day – We’ll send them and their mom cookies later…since we know where they live and all.]
Jane and I sat in her car to wait. We listed all the crazy things that had happened the past few days. It actually made me truly laugh at life. It released me of so much pressure of perfection and punctuality. [Let it rest. God’s in control.] It’s been a rough couple of days. Readjusting to this new culture and pace in the states has been hard and challenging and graceless to say the least. Life is more rushed. I had almost fallen back into my habit of planning each moment to the hour when God stepped in again to show me His awesomeness and sense of humor. In His perfect timing it’s all OK and we continue on our way. I think I can give my control back to Him and see what yard I land in next.
