Everyone needs a little time off from time to time. Today was one of those weird, unscheduled breaks from life's pertinent tasks. Until 9:30 in the morning I thought my only really important things to do were getting to the courthouse by 11:00 to be there as moral support for my daughter(there are times we all make poor choices, this one was hers)and getting my wife's valentine present + a card(she really likes those even when I create them on the 'puter). To make a really long story short Cheryl had a call at work that the time was wrong and that her presence in court was required as well as mine. I got the call from her at 9:30 letting me know that I had to be ready to walk out the door in ten minutes. That meant no shower or shave, but what the hey, I can go anywhere looking just like I do now and people can think what they wish, I am the same person no matter how I look on the outside. We made the appointment with a minute to spare and the next hour was blissfully spent trying to understand the legal jargon employed in courthouses all over our nation. My wife had to get back to work(she could only take one hour of vacation time for this emergency without providing a full explanation. Company policies, ya know)so I remained in the courtroom with the expectation that our daughter could drop me off back at the house and I could get on with my day.
Ha, ha, was I in for a surprise. I arrived home, jumped in my trusted 1989 Oldsmobile Toronado only to pull onto the street and realize the right front tire was flat. No problem, or so I thought. I got the mini tire out and the jack and lug wrench last used in 1998. One of the lug nuts on each wheel is a locking unit so I got out the little jobberdo that takes care of that. Four lug nuts later I placed the lock piece on the final nut and lo and behold the thing broke. Mechanic told me later that this was probably due to the freezing temperatures. But at that moment I sat next to the wheel and prayed for patience and an idea that would get me out of the neighbors driveway before someone needed it. I gingerly backed the car back to my driveway and parked it facing the street(forgot the jack was under there and had to walk back for that)and then came in the house poured a not so hot cup of coffee and prayed about what my next course of action should be. After a host of telephone calls I lined up someone to take the car to a place where folks know how to handle these situations for a sum of money as yet to be determined. The first truck the rescuer brought could not move the car because of the flat, so he had to go back and get a big car hauler flatbed thing that can lift the whole vehicle. He was not very happy about the situation and all I could do by then was laugh and wonder what it was God was attempting to communicate to me. My experience has led me to believe that there is always a lesson to be learned. This incident was no exception, and tomorrow I shall share that portion of this story. Needless to say, the best part of the day was spent in prayer, and worst part of it was spent wondering...Why me Lord? Tomorrow will be better and our world will celebrate a day of love. Perhaps we need one of these days like Valentine's Day every month. In Christ's Love, Preacher.
