- Today started like any other. I woke up by the sound of my baby alarm clock. I fed my girls. We bathed. We dressed. Nothing unusual to indicate a variance from our typical routine. I knew we had a few minor errands to run, such as the bank, pay a bill, pick up a prescription, and drop the jeep off for a recall repair. I remembered late last night that I made an appointment to have the vehicle worked on. Ben is usually off on Mondays, and I knew he’d be able to help with the girls while we waited for them to fix whatever minor problem the flyer from the dealer was talking about. I realized last night that Ben would be working today, and I would need to revamp my plan. I was grateful to discover my mother-in-law could come get us from the dealership instead of us waiting there. They told me it would only take an hour, but an hour with a 2 year old and a 5 month old is a long time.
- We made the most of our time at my mother-in-law’s house. We ate lunch and enjoyed good conversation, but I knew she had things she needed to do. So after 2 hours had passed, I called the dealership to enquire on the status. It seems the minor recall had something to do with the rear suspension. I am not very mechanically inclined, but I hoped that would help with a pulling motion I had experienced while driving on the highway the prior week. I had mentioned it to Ben and my Dad, describing it “like being blown by a strong wind”, but there was no wind that day. The guy on the phone came back after putting me on hold. He explained that when the mechanic went to remove the rear suspension arms, that the rusted bolts simply broke apart, all of them. He then asked if I could come in and look at a few things on the vehicle. When I arrived and saw my vehicle in the air, the first thing I noticed was the pile of rust on the ground. They then showed me the damage, unseen under my car. There was rust everywhere, not just the normal amount, but enough to corrode some important stuff. A tire rod had broken, among other things. The mechanic had seen the carseats, and knew he had to show me. Even I could see that it wasn’t good. After the tour of the remains of the titanic, they agreed to put together an estimate and I went to the rental department.
- I felt two things as I walked to that window. The first thing I felt was dread over how we could manage to pay for such repairs. It made me feel worried and overwhelmed. The next thing I felt was awe over how my Lord had protected us. I pray daily for His protective hand on us, but I suddenly felt unworthy of His faithfulness to us. I was humbled that He would protect us so much. After I gathered my rental keys, I briefly updated my mother-in-law, to include the figure they had thus far for the parts, but not labor costs. I cried as I spoke. It wasn’t the monetary figure that made me weep. It was the realization of God’s hand on my family. I’m not sure how we will proceed from here. We definitely have some important decisions to make. What I love is that because we have given our lives to God, this is not something Ben and I face alone. It is nice to feel peace rather than fear. I asked a family member to pray for us as we decide our next step. I also asked her though, to praise Him for His protection.
That is all 🙂