We have been discussing selling our second car. We can't afford the insurance and upkeep on it, so when the car just died out of the clear blue last week, we thought, "OK, it's time to sell it." We let it sit for about a week, which is all it took to realize we have to have two vehicles at this time in our lives. With Chris and Kayla being in school, Kayla working part-time, Christopher's Occupational Therapy every week, his anger management counseling every week, and his psychology appoints, there was just no way to make it all happen.
Chris woke up Friday morning with a sense of urgency to get the battery looked it. Thanks to Advanced Auto, they were able to tell him it was definitely a bad battery. $101 and some change later, the car was up running.
After my Friday morning weigh in, I had some errands to do, one of which was picking up some prescriptions from Lakeview for Christopher. Driving down "E" Street, I hear a noise and the left side of my car goes limp. Yeap. Not only did I have a flat tire, but a complete blow out. Dad told me when he gave me the car (it was my grandparents) that the tires were rotted and needed to be replaced immediately. Not having a regular income, tires were not on the list, especially when I priced them! For a 93 Pontiac Bonneville, there is one style that has to go on the car. I know, right. Never heard of such. The prices range from $395 for four tires for the generic at Wal-Mart and for mid-grade were $510 from my favorite mechanic shop. So, tires were not on our radar at all.
I called my husband because I hadn't changed a tire since I was 19 years old. Yes, that had been a LONG time ago and being stranded on E Street in Pensacola is NOT the best place to be stranded.
My frustrations of the morning mounted when we put the spare tire on. Yeap. It was flat. I had to drive to the other end of Pace Street to get to a convenient store with an air pump that didn't have people hanging around on their hoods, smoking and drinking. Yes, I became MORE frustrated!
After two and half hours, I was FINALLY on my way to Lakeview to pick up Christopher's prescription. It is now 1:30 and a scorching 90 plus degrees outside. As I pull in the parking lot, put the car in park, IMMEDIATELY a bird swoops right in front of my car windshield. (If you know me, or follow my blog, you know how birds are my visual of God's provisions and protection for me.) The bird had a bundle of twigs and hay. I smiled. The bird then began fluttering frantically in the dirt causing quite a bit of dust to whirl about.
In the midst of my rantings and ravings, the Lord showed me his protection and provisions.
1. If the tire had blown just moments earlier, I would have been driving 60mph on the interstate.
~I see the Hand of God.
2. If my husband hadn't sensed the Lord nudging him to get the car battery (yes, I was furious at the cost of a battery), he would not have been able to get to me at all. I would have had to leave my car, walk with a spare blocks away to get air in it and walk back to the car.
~I see the Hand of God.
3. If the tire had blown last week, we wouldn't have had the money to get it repaired. We would have been without a vehicle at all.
~I see the Hand of God.
4. When the bird flew in front of my windshield, immediately the Lord gave me Matthew 6:25-34 as my reminder of Who is in control and how important I am to Him. I did a little research on what time of day birds normally build their nests. There isn't much information on it, so I contacted a group that studies birds behavior. They confirmed what I suspected, birds do not normally build their nests in the hottest part of the day. It is normally in the early mornings and late evenings when it is cooler you see birds working. Remember, it was 1:30 in the afternoon and scorching hot when God sent this bird to me. :)
~I see the Hand of God.
5. Remember the fluttering about in the dust I told you about. Birds do that to make like a bonding material (usually it is with mud but there was no mud) for twigs, hay, string to bond together when building their nest. When the dust was whirling around, the Lord gave me the scripture found in John 16:33, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, BUT take heart! I have overcome the world." (The whirling dust represented my frustrations from the day/the troubles of the world!)
~I see the Hand of God.
(Couldn't find a bird causing a dust whirl, but found this impressive picture of a dust storm to visual the trouble of the world.)
This represents the peace that the Father can give when we trust Him.
Makes me smile :)
6. A person I have cleaned for a few times called me to see if I got a tire. He told me about Butler's Tire Shop on Old Palafox
~But for the Hand of God!
So thankful He goes before me, that He loves me enough to grow me and teach me through His creation.
Father, forgive me I pray when I doubt, forgive me when I stomp my feet and get mad. Thank you for loving me enough to show me your hand time and time again. Thank you for meeting the needs we have and those we don't even know about yet. I love you Lord and thank you, Amen.
Learning to rest in Him,
Stacey
~But for the Hand of God.
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