I forgot to share this yesterday; remembered it last night. Remember the downpour we had on Sunday? It didn't start out too bad out here. We watched Jentezen Franklin's message on Sunday morning, then decided to do a 'run' to Costco. We knew it was raining, but it wasn't a hard rain, so why not get something done we wanted to do? Costco opens at 10AM on Sundays so we thought we could beat the 'crowd' and be there right around 10AM. We get ready, open the garage door, get in the car and back it out... and the rain seemed to pick up some. We start down the road (in hubby's car) and water is on both sides of the street - you know how it collects there first before it hits the middle of the road. All of a sudden, it's like the heavens opened and rain just poured down! We could barely see in front of us. We were barely a street or two a way and we made a decision to go back home and just wait out the storm. There was no critical need to go anyway. We pull back into the garage, and go inside. All of a sudden, hubby jumps up out of his chair and goes to the garage. He comes back in and says that he had gotten notification on his phone that his left rear tire had only 5 pounds of pressure in it. So he went to check - and sure enough, it was flat.
That is God taking care of us. If we had continued on the road to Costco, in the pouring rain, not knowing we had a tire going flat or was flat (because going through the waters you'd never know)... we could have been stranded for some time on the side of the road, could have ruined the tire wheel, could have come out to notice the flat tire and have to wait in the rain forever for AAA to come. A lot of things could have happened. Because we turned around and came home, we were dry and the car was in the garage.
Yesterday morning hubby called AAA to come out and because we were not in traffic, they didn't arrive for a couple hours. The mechanic hikes up car, loosens the lug nuts and opens the trunk to get the spare out..... only to find no spare. There was a black box there, but no spare tire. So he filled up the tire with air, tightened the lug nuts, and told hubby it should last for him to get it fixed. Hubby first calls the dealership where he got his car and asked about not having a spare tire. They asked him if a black box was in its place and hubby said yes. The black box is a compressor. Hubby's car is 2015 and around that time Chevy stopped putting spare tires in - instead putting the compressor so that you could pump the tire up to get you where you needed to get it fixed, versus changing a tire. I don't know what they do if the tire is gashed and air cannot be put in it. But regardless, that's the deal on that. Hubby goes on to Big O's to get the tire fixed to find two nails in it; one on the side so that it is unfixable. The other rear tire had a nail in it, but not puncturing the tire yet. One of the front right was getting thin and I'm not sure about the 4th tire. Anyway... long story short... hubby came home to discuss it with me.... but will be going back this morning to have 4 new tires put on the car.
The point of this narrative is that God was taking care of us, even when we didn't expect it. He knew the tire was going flat. He knew that if we drove it any further, we could have been stranded for who knows how long with the rain pouring down. He knew that by putting it in our mind to go back home and 'wait out the rain' we would be safe. God took care of us, once again. And he does that for you. I am sure some things happen to you or your family but you are just thinking 'oh it was just a lucky thing that we....' or 'we were fortunate that....' but it isn't luck or good fortune...it is God, All God, taking care of you. Sit back and think about the times that you took for granted as good luck or good favor happening to you. And take a moment and just tell your Heavenly Father "Thanks" for taking care of you and of your family. You are precious to Him.
Think about it as part of that 'quietness and solitude' that I talked about a few days ago. Quiet yourself, quiet your mind, and think about how good God has been to you, even though you haven't thanked Him, even though you haven't even given Him credit. You have a roof over your head, a car to drive (in most cases), a job (sometimes), and a healthy family. Isn't that enough to even get a 'thank you, Lord' out of you? I am grateful every day that my family is alive and well. When you begin to get older, as I have, and your siblings aren't doing that well..... you tend to be thankful you have them one more day. I may not talk to them often, but there are a few of them that I never know when I will get that devastating phone call. I am grateful they are still here on earth. There will come a time that each one of us will be called before the throne, I pray that they will be ready to meet Jesus.
You may laugh about that statement and make jokes about hell.... I had that conversation with one of my siblings yesterday and the need to forgive and let go of the past. Unforgiveness just gives the other person(s) power over you. And it keeps you out of heaven. I refuse to give anyone that power over me except Jesus. I may not want to associate with that person any more, and that is ok. I may not like or approve of what they do. But I will forgive them because I will not give them power to keep me out of heaven. I have enough of my own 'garbage' that can do that... I don't need any help. God and I talk often cause I want to make sure I'm ready when my time comes. My little sister and I joke that we hope God calls us home on a 'good day'.
And I hope that for you as well. Why not start or end each day with a clean slate? Forgive even the unforgiveable.... it doesn't mean you approve. It just means that you are willing to take away the power of the unforgiveness. Be THAT one. You will feel better. I truly believe there are things in some peoples lives that keep them from being well. And I believe that it is caused by unforgiveness, because they live in the past. They can't let go of that hurt, that sin, that thing done against them. And because they can't let it go, they have given others power over their health. They have allowed the unforgiveness to take over. It brings disease, it brings depression, it brings sadness and sorrow. You can't get better because your soul is sick. Let it go.
Jesus is our only Hope. Reach out and thank Him for all that He has done for you. He loves you so much He went to the cross for you. He took your sin and nailed it to the cross. He forgave you. And so we are to forgive others, and ourselves. Think about it.
Blessings!
