Uglyhead

When we left our family reunion in Allensville, PA yesterday afternoon it was raining. When we stopped for dinner in Roanoke, VA it was raining. When we checked into a hotel in Christiansburg, VA it was raining. When we woke up this morning it was raining. When we arrived home in Chattanooga, TN it was raining. Surely with all of this rain, we thought, there would be water damage in our house. However, so far it appears that the plastic that our neighbor put on the roof is working. It is wonderful to have such good neighbors!

That was the good news. The bad news is that our car broke down.

About thirty miles north of Knoxville, TN the air conditioner went out in the Subaru. At one point it made a squeaky noise, but then Pamela smelled something burning and I shut it down. Not only was the car ride hot, but the windows kept fogging up because of the non-stop rain. Visibility was bad enough with the downpour, but I kept having to use my hat to wipe down the windows so that I could see to drive.

After about a half hour of white knuckle driving we stopped in Knoxville for lunch at McDonald’s. When we got back in the car I tried the AC again. It made another drawn out squeaking sound as the compressor tried to kick on, so I turned it off again. However, about a half hour down the road I tried it once more and presto–it came back on as cool as ice. While it may not have been the wisest move, I decided to keep it running for the remainder of the trip.

However, as we pulled off the highway and onto Broad St., I asked Pamela if she was hearing what I was hearing. The engine was making an awful racket. The AC was still working, but I noticed that the check engine light had come on. We immediately drove it to Blakney Auto and called a friend to pick us up. The Outback has 120,000 miles on it and the timing belt has never been changed. I am hoping it is something silly like what happened to our Altima. It was making a similar sound, but it was the timing chain guide–a part that Nissan said did not need to be replaced (just removed so the noise would stop).

In related news, we called our insurance company to get the ball rolling on the tree damage. The agent informed us that most homeowner policies do not cover wind damage from trees–especially trees that are clearly in danger of falling. She did say that since it was our neighbor’s tree it might be covered by their liability insurance, since negligence could be proven. The kicker, however, is that we will probably need to pay our deductable and then our insurance company will try to subrogate the claim with our neighbor’s insurance company. If they succeed, then we will get our five hundred back.

So…in the next week or so we have three big expenditures looming–the car repairs, the house repairs and paying someone to remove the dead trees in our yard (before another storm knocks one of them over and we do this all over again). While we are thankful to just be bothered by financial concerns, they are coming at a time in which money is tight and more expenses loom on the horizon (i.e., new baby, bigger car, etc.). They say that things happen in threes. That’s three things, right? Or do the latter two count as the same incident? Nah, it does not matter. Two…three…it is just the same. I am not superstitious at all. If anything, I am looking for the silver lining (i.e., what is God trying to teach us?).

My brother in law always reminds me that there is great comfort and wisdom found in the Psalms. Tonight I turned to Psalm 62. The last five verses stuck out to me.

8 Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah
9 Those of low estate are but a breath;
those of high estate are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
they are together lighter than a breath.
10 Put no trust in extortion;
set no vain hopes on robbery;
if riches increase, set not your heart on them.
11 Once God has spoken;
twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,
12 and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.
For you will render to a man
according to his work.

Reading that makes my financial woes seem kind of superficial. No matter what the world might say, I need not lament over an aging car or a fallen tree; nor worry about having enough money for this or that in the future. This is not to say that stewardship and hard work are not important–and I can certainly see areas where we can improve on those fronts–but that in the long run it will all work out for our good and His glory as we continue to live moment by moment in faith, humility and trust. To me that is truly the comforting application of any trial, don’t you think?