When Life Gives You Lemons...

Yesterday was an eventful day to say the least but the circumstances didn't blind me from seeing the work of an awesome God in action!

It all started with my car breaking down on the way to work yesterday morning. It did fine all the way to the entrance at work where I had to stop at a red light. When I stop for some reason the engine wants to die and when this happens I can't usually get it back in gear to go. The engine starts fine and all but I can't get it to go into gear. After trying to get it in gear and missing one whole green light, (yes people behind me were heated and blowing their horns) I was finally able to get it to cooperate. I went on in to work and worried about how it was going to do on the way home.

It was about 1:30 and I asked if I could leave early in order to try and beat most of the rush of traffic in case something happened and I had more problems. My boss was kind enough to understand and let me go so I was happy about that. I went out and the car started fine and I got it into gear and was on my way home. I made it all the way to highlander point and all was well until I came to... you guessed it, a traffic light. I had to stop and when I did the engine died and I wasn't able to get it in gear to leave. This time I sat through three green lights and luckily didn't get slammed in the back end. I decided to put it into neutral and just let it coast backwards and onto the side of the road. This part was a little challenging because I had to wait until I knew nothing was coming. Thankfully I got it over and out of the way without any big problems.

So now I was stuck there on the side of the road wondering what I was going to do. I called Ryan because I knew he was at home and he was the first person I could think of that might be able to help. Then I thought about Bill Peake Jr. because he is in my Bible Study group and I thought he might be the type of person that could help me in this situation. Well I didn't have his phone number so I called Chad because I knew he would have it.

The attempt was unsuccessful. I just got Chad's voicemail and then I started really wondering what I was going to do. Then I get a phone call and notice it was Chad calling me back. I fill him in on everything and he asks me where I was at. I tell him that I am at highlander point and he says, "really? Because we are too!" Then I hear a horn, look over in the next lane and see the church van filled with most of the GCC staff! They pull over and come out and look at the car with me but there is still nothing that can be done. After looking at it for a minute or two Ryan pulls up and has a look along with us. We just can't figure it out and Barry all of a sudden suggests that I let him use his AAA card to tow it for me. I take him up on his offer and am just thankful that he allowed me to do that!

Everyone else goes on and leaves except for Ryan and Barry and we just wait for the tow truck to get there. But the thing that I really want to stress here in this story is the perspective I was able to find on the whole thing. I was very mad and upset in the beginning. And I could have stayed that way the entire time, in fact I was that way for quite a while but then as if you were talking to me right now I heard the Lord telling me that I could have missed the whole thing!

What?...Wait a minute here...I could have missed what?

I could have stayed mad and upset and missed the fact that God worked it all out for me. He came and delivered in my time of need!

How strange is it that they just happened to be there at the time I needed?

How strange is it that it was the same time of day, and at the same location?

How strange is it that I thought to call Chad?

How strange is it that Barry just happened to be with them and had access to AAA?

God spoke to me in that moment and told me that I could have easily missed his work right in front of my very face! If I would have stayed focused on the problem and let my attitude get the best of me I would have missed it all! Instead, when life gave me the lemons I was able to see the lemonade that the good Lord just made!

How awesome is that?