Three Bad Things

By Elizabeth Prata

I’m the kind of person where a major catastrophe could happen in front of me or to me and I’d go immediately into calm problem solving mode. But if a little thing happens I go to pieces.

Several events like that happened to me recently, which taught me lessons.

I drive only old cars. I mean like 15+ years old to near-antique cars. You expect old cars to break down. And they do. One of them was a champ till the end. Two others broke down constantly. I was alone by the side of the road numerous times. At night, in the rain, whatever whenever. Not my favorite thing. In fact, I am now highly skittish about the breakdown potentiality. I have a knot in my stomach every time I get behind the wheel. This car I have now is 17 years old.

A couple of weeks ago at the end of the day a staff member at school told me my rear passenger tire was very low. He offered to pump it up (school has a few gadgets to get people on their way again). There is a tire place a half mile from school so I headed there after work. The tire guy said all my tires were low and that one was extremely low. He assured me that is what it probably was, and since he is a tire guy who has a tire place and deals with tires, I thought, ‘well, OK’. Plumped up, my tires and me were on the road again.

Three days later that same tire was extremely low again. Repeat operation tire pump up at school. The person who helped me found a small hole and showed it to me. Again, off I went to the tire place. The guy jacked up the car enough to spin the tire and search for a hole or nail. He didn’t find it. He called for senior tire guy to come and he searched. Then began the treatment of customer as Nervous Nellie Old Lady. “You sure it was this tire?” My silent reply- “You sure you’d ask a GUY that question?!’ Out loud I politely replied, “Yes, I’m sure”. They did search diligently for a hole for a while longer but came up empty.

It had been flat twice in 5 days. There WAS a hole. There was no way I was leaving without a resolution. I asked if they had a good used tire. “Yes we do, in your size.”

Five minutes later the man came out of the garage wiping his hands. “Sorry that used tire has a hole in it.” Internally I replied, “Sure you found THAT hole.” Out loud I said, I’ll buy a new one. How much?”

$130 later I was driving down the road with a new tire. I was aggravated, sure. But though these minor hitches occur in life, God is present in my life too, and He is bigger and better than the interruptions that He providentially orchestrates.

Lesson #1: I had driven 50 miles and back to church at 65mph on the highway. The tire could have blown or flattened and put me by the side of the road. Instead, God caused the staff member to glance over and see the tire (in fact, when I thanked him for seeing it, he said “God did”. It happened at work. I was safe at work. I had friends who could help me if the car was not drivable. I got safely to work and back both times. There was a tire place a half mile away. The situation was resolved within 15 minutes and I was on my way with minor inconvenience. Even the cost of a new tire wasn’t bad.

Try to see God in and behind things that happen, from major to minor. Think about how to praise Him even when inconveniences. Especially when inconvenienced.

Problem #2

When the air conditioner isn’t on in my apartment the humidity rises. Did you know that ACs work not by cooling the air but by removing the water in the air? At least that is how I understand it. I have a dehumidifier and of course it needs emptying once in a while. I get up at 4:30 am on weekdays and I noticed it had turned itself off, needing an empty. I carefully removed the bucket and slowly walked over to the bathroom sink. I tipped the bucket over into the sink. I missed the sink. Gallons of water went all over the counter, inside the under cabinet and on the floor. Welp. That’s one way to wake up in the morning!

The good in that is most of the water went onto the bathroom area rug. I carefully lifted the sopping rug, drained the water and laid large towels down and got up the rest. I threw them all into the sink, intending to wring and throw into the dryer when I got home.

This event tells me that the Lord is reminding me I am entering a new season of life. I’m about to be 64. I am not the same person I was at 34. I drop things frequently now, needing to remind myself that I must grip objects tighter than I think I do. The depth perception isn’t the same anymore, that is how I missed the sink (in the dark, no glasses on makes it worse too). I obtained an old lady grabber because I’ve shrunk in stature, I cannot reach the 2nd shelf any more.

I think the Lord is reminding me that as I age, reliance on Him is a daily necessity. Even though it’s true that it is ALWAYS a necessity to rely on Him, a new season of life means it needs to be at the forefront of my mind even more firmly. There are things I just can’t do like I used to. A boon is that as I muse over this, I delight in the fact that I have eternal life. I don’t know how people who are nearing the last quarter or less of their life who don’t know Christ cope with the fact that one day, death will come.

Problem #3

So a third thing happened. It was Halloween. Halloween week at school is something non-educators just do not get. It is the national crazy holiday for kids. Because…CANDY. Not even Christmas presents top CANDY. You have no idea how much kids clamor for candy. It was also Red Ribbon week, so every day was dress up something. Halloween was costume day. There was also an assembly. Nuts I tell you. The whole week was nuts and Halloween day was nuttiest.

After school, though pretty tired, I decided to risk going up to Kroger for my weekly groceries. Thursday is a quiet day at the store, and I knew I’d be zonked on Friday. Weekends are monstrously busy. So Thursday it was. The weather was sunny, bright, and warm. I tootled up there contentedly and got my things and was feeling pretty happy with myself because I’d saved $21 and got out in less than 40 min, a personal best.

I opened my front car door and threw in my keys and purse, locked the door and closed it. OOPS! Groceries and me on the outside; keys, AAA car, spare key, and phone inside. Not good.

I tried pushing the window down a crack like I used to be able to do with my other car. No go. A Spanish man saw what I was doing and said ‘Call policia.’ Good idea, I said, thanks.

I went inside and told the customer service lady what I’d done and asked if they could call a police non-emergency number on behalf of a senior citizen lady. By now I was internally panicking and ready to jump off a metaphorical cliff. So instead I prayed to Jesus for this to be resolved quickly and inexpensively and well, quickly. So quickly.

The service desk lady said usually the policeman makes his rounds at this time, but warned me that they do not usually unlock doors unless there is a baby or animal inside.

The non-emergency dispatcher said she would call back if an officer was going to come. IF?! Gulp. I had a dilemma. Should I go outside and look for the officer? Or stay by the phone? More panic, because I do not like dilemmas.

I looked to my left and who did I see walking down the aisle. My dear friend the school counselor! I ran over. She said “Hey! How are you doing?” I said “BAD.”

I related the sad story of how stupid I was. She came over with me to the service desk. She said, “Hey I saw a police car stopped out front, it looked like he was looking for someone.” I said, “That’s’ MEEE!”

We went outside together and the officer was kind and said he’d meet us at my car. He worked on the lock while my friend talked calmly to me. I felt so stupid, really stupid, because I don’t usually make mistakes like this. I was just so tired from the day and not thinking. She gave me a hug and then the policeman was successful with getting the door unlocked. Voila! She even loaded my groceries for me. She is truly in the right profession as counselor.

The Lord answered my prayer – it was resolved inexpensively and He sent me a friend just then. She had said she did not even need to come to the store early because her prescription was not going to be ready for another hour. Amazing! He allowed the officer to unlock the car even though an animal or baby was not inside. I was on my way within 20 minutes of shutting the locked door on myself. Amazing!

I thought long and hard about what the Lord is showing me. First, He is absolutely involved in our lives, to the minutest degree. This should spark relief, gratitude, and an eagerness for prayer.

Second, he answers prayer. Sometimes He even answers in the way that was asked. What were the chances that at the exact moment I needed someone to calm me down He would send the perfect person whose personality and training makes you instantly calm? That I would not have to wait hours? That I would not have to spend money?

Third, that I need to add another routine to my life. In addition to managing my energy that ebbs and flows in fits and starts now, in addition to remembering to grip things harder than I used to, in addition to making sure I am stepping firmly and carefully so as not to fall, I now need to routinely keep keys in pocket. Add non-emergency number to wallet. I cannot do things unmindfully any more because my brain works differently now.

Thirty years ago I was tramping the roads of Paris in a backpack, steering a yacht across the Gulf Stream, sleeping in a bunk room below the waterline on an ice breaking ferry, on an archaeological dig in Tuscany, walking up and down the Andes. I’m not that girl anymore. Now I am a nearly retired senior (how’d THAT happen!) who uses a grabber to get 2nd shelf things down and locks her keys in the car. I’m a tired educator looking forward to sitting in the chair at night and nodding off while watching TV. I’m a pudgy white haired lady who gets senior discounts at Great Clips.

And that’s OK. I just have to remember that is who I am now. But also remember that life is eternal, and it will all work out in the end. If you are in Christ, He gives that peace and assurance that no matter what stage of life you’re in, He is in control, and working things out for the best for His children. I may old, but I am His child. And that is more than OK.