How My Car Exploding Let Me See the Goodness of God

Last Monday morning, I woke feeling tired after a wonderful weekend and headed into work. Only, I didn’t make it in the usual 27 minute timeframe, because halfway there the car started smoking. 

Thankfully, I was slowing to a stop sign. The car in front of me turned quickly, and it was all I could do to not panic and turn out in front of another car, all while saying, “Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no” a thousand times fast.

Also, thankfully, there was a parking lot right there I could pull into. 

I jumped out of the car and called my Mama.

Just as she came on and I started telling her that their car, as it was the car they loaned me while I was saving money for a new-for-me car (eta: 2016… Remember the 5 Things I was Praying For in 2015?) was smoking, a guy named Bryan pulled up and took at look at it for me. His diagnosis was that something had happened to the water pump and there wasn’t any water in the radiator, which he proved by unscrewing the cap with his bare hand, and that my car had severely overheated and possibly burned up. It was decided that the flamelessly smoking car needed to be towed to Toyota, and I needed to see if a co-worker could pick me up and take me to work.

Thankfully, a co-worker/friend was pulling into the office and was willing to drive out of her way to pick me up. 

Thankfully, there was a diner two doors down that let me camp out in their ac for the cost of a 25cent cup of ice water.

Thankfully. That’s all I can say about this week – I am so thankful. 

It was about that time I started making a list of all the ways God was taking care of me. Because in the span of an hour, He threw down. That’s the only way I can describe it: people praying, people offering comfort/sympathy/encouragement, lunch dates, rides to places like home, Bible study, a friend’s house, to work, to softball practice… everything was taken care of. 

I was taken care of. 

But I was still so young and innocent, as it wasn’t until riding home with Nicole after work that I got the news from my mom- the car couldn’t be fixed. Then it hit me: this wasn’t just being out of a vehicle for a few days. That “new” car I’d been mentally preparing and financially saving for for so many years needed to come now, ready or not. 

Yikes. I wasn’t.

Monday night, my roommate Audrey took me to my friends’ Connie and Don’s house, so that I could spend the night on their couch and catch a ride into work the next day. It was about that same time I realized that while all the rides had been figured out, in my haste to clear the car and get to work earlier that day, I grabbed my cleats for softball practice, but not my glove… and it was locked safely in a burned up camry at Toyota on the other side of town.

Might have been the final straw.

I remember waking up at 3am that night, feeling like a failure. For not seeing warning signs (still not sure there were any) about the car (granted, it was 19 years old and counting). And for falling short of my goal of getting the new car next year. Then, a fragment of a verse ran through my sleepy mind:

“I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” Psalm 27:13

Then, I got it – what an INCREDIBLE opportunity! Because this was so unexpected and out of my control, and God’s hand had already been all over the last 18 hours. How could it not be all good?

It was so clear: this week, this story, was all about an opportunity for God to get even more glory as His goodness was even more clear to me and everyone around me!

In that moment, I moved from discouragement to anticipation. Because it had nothing to do with me at all, other than that I would be a recipient of His goodness. It had everything to do with Him.

Not that the rest of the week was easy, but it was so good. And here were even more ways I saw God’s goodness:

• Someone at the dealer contacted my parents and wanted to buy the burned up car for $300. 
• My parents drove up to surrender the title on Tuesday, emptied out the car, and came to me at my first softball practice in 15 years, another thing I asked God about, and let me borrow my mom’s car… and they got to see me in action on the field for a minute. 
• Others offered rides. Many offered hugs. Many prayed. While I felt discombobulated, I felt so “right” in where I was.
• When a light appeared on my mom’s car’s dashboard Wednesday morning, I was able to figure out the problem (and again, another stranger was willing to help as well). 
• Oh, and the softball glove? Turns out my ride into work on Tuesday had to stop at Enterprise to pick up someone who dropped off a rental car. Guess where it was? Next to Toyota. The next thing I know, I’m riding into work with my glove and $5 cleats on my lap, grinning from ear to ear. 

I think that moment was just God saying that little things matter to Him too.

I spent the week doing a lot of imaginative math, lots of research, online car shopping, car insurance scouting, and saying, “I don’t know. But I know God is going to be glorified in this.”

Thursday night, our team (I’m co-coach!) won our first pre-season softball game, 21-9 (GO, NINJAS!)… #5 of the 5 Things I’m Praying About in 2015.

Friday, I played with co-workers/friends at our annual Marketing Lake Day, pretty much pulverizing my arms to a pulp while laughing myself hoarse. 

Saturday, I drove down and met my parents (after they just helped my brother and his family move into their new home… this was NOT the ideal week for this to happen!). I didn’t want to go car shopping without them, because I had no idea what to do. I was armed with a list of 4 dealerships, praying this would be the only day we’d have to do this, and our route was planned (of course, I made it a little more difficult because I wanted a blue Corolla. I mean, I even said it here … that’s what I was praying for. But shopping for a specific make/model/year/and color is a bit intimidating, especially when there isn’t a lot available. But if I’m going to drive this thing for 15 years, I want to like what I see walking up it every day. And since purple isn’t available, I wanted blue). We had 4 chances, and #2 was the winner – great condition, great price, good mileage, and got the thumbs up from my mechanic (Dad). 

The next thing I know, I’m driving home in my dream car, a 2012 Toyota Corolla – blue. 

Today, I named her Lorelai. #ohyesIdid #GilmoreGirls

It’s exactly what I prayed for, and there’s no doubt in my mind that God provided this very car for me. 

He is taking care of me. 

I just want to thank all of you who prayed, encouraged me, sent messages, gave hugs and rides, offered couches and more rides, gave advice, gave muffins, let me process, gave grace when I looked like I was having a hard time thinking straight, gave support, and showed me just what a beautiful thing being part of the Church is. I’m so thankful for all of you, and most of all, I’m just thanking God for all He has done.

Because while it was a hard week, it was also one of the best I’ve ever lived. 

This week, I saw God provide – and in so many ways than a car, as big as that is. He provided for little things just as faithfully. This is something I will savor and carry with me during hard times in the future – proof that He keeps His Word and His love is beyond anything I can fathom.

I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.

Psalm 27: 13-14

 

 

 

 

P.S. Oh… and that’s a “check” for the final thing on the list: living situation, car, India trip, choir, and softball! None of these things were answered the way I expected or imagined they would be. But He answered all of these, in His timing, and provided for every bit of it. So thank you for praying with me and being a part of this!

Guess it’s time to start dreaming for next year….