“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
As I navigate real life, I find I have to remember that I have access to peace.
We just got back from almost two weeks in Texas. It was family time, it was fun, it was exhausting. We landed in LAX right in the peak of evening rush hour. We got in our car and got the 405 ready for the long drive home, because we were ready to go home. As we merged into traffic, our car check engine light came on and then it started to rev loudly and wouldn't shift into the upper gears. We managed to get off an exit pretty quickly in Culver City off Sepulveda. We pulled into a parking lot and my husband tried a few things to get the car working. His attempts didn't work.
I grabbed his hand as he got back into the car and we prayed. I asked God for help because my internal panic mode was kicking into gear much better than the car transmission.
I then searched for autobody shops near us. The closest one was Rony's. I dialed and a man answered, it was Rony. I asked when he closed. He told me 5 o'clock (an hour before this call), but he was still there, what did I need? I told him what happened and where we were and he told us to come on over. Rony checked out the car and promised to make this a priority so we could get home. He recommended some hotels and told us when he opened in the morning. He would start working tonight on what the issue could be based on the reading he got from the computer.
We managed to take our car down the couple blocks to our hotel. In the morning when my husband took the car down, Rony gave us one of his own to drive back to the hotel. He promised to have an answer by check out so we would know what our next steps would be.
The two options were pricey and it looked like a rental car was in our future while the car got fixed. I prayed again and in the midst of my questions and fear, I also found that peace. Why? Because as I looked online, Rony's had amazing reviews. He was honest, decent prices and quality work. I didn't even look at that before pulling into his lot. He was close, he was open, we were desperate. Yet, God led us to this awesome place. God had his hand on us through the hardship and I saw it. I decided to thank him and recognize him for it. I decided to trust.
The option was in, $1200 and we would have to drive home in a rental car and come back for the car later. Then ten minutes later came another call and a question about the battery. Turns out, our newish battery didn't hold a charge while parked for two weeks and it was talking to the computer correctly. Resetting the code could work. Rony tried it, he tested it and all seemed good. He seemed reticent to let us leave since, he wouldn't be able to do anything if it didn't work, but he was pretty sure the car was good. He was right. We went home that day in our car and because it wasn't rush hour, we did it under three hours! The bill was under $200 instead of $1200.
God is always there, even if the bill had been $1200, but seeing that God was caring for us and directing us, allowed me to understand the peace he gives us.
I could have focused on the fact that our car broke down in the first place and why couldn't God just let me get home Tuesday night, but instead I chose to see his provisions in the midst of life.
I hear people misquote I Corinthians 10:13 all the time. They say, "God won't give you more than you can bear," but that is not what that passage is saying. Its talking about temptation not hardship. John 16:33 is a much better passage to hold onto. This world can suck but God is God in the end and he is with us in the middle of the suck.
You can trust him and so can I. Let's focus on that. How have you seen God in the midst of real life? Have you been paying attention? Look for the clues that his there. I promise you won't be disappointed!
P.S. If you live near Culver City - go to Rony's! He's a good guy and a mechanic that won't take advantage!
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