A WOBBLY WEEKEND
I didn’t want to drive… but my wife insisted on driving over to the coast so she could take her bicycle to peddle up and down Highways 1. She left on a Thursday and I flew to catch up with her the following Saturday. When she picked me up from the airport she asked me, “Can you hear that sound?” while turning down the radio. Those are code words for big trouble. If she can hear something on a vehicle, it’s much too, too late.
“Yeah,” I answered, “That’s bad – real bad… That’s metal on metal and means the rotors are shot and we shouldn’t be driving this.” My wife told me the youngest, who’s been driving the SUV, mentioned something to her about the brakes a while back… I told her I wish someone would have mentioned it to me…
We found a mechanic shop and drove straight there. Out of state plates with an emergency… not a good hand of cards to be dealt. The owner of the shop with his thick black mustache and accent chuckled like a professional poker player. It’s never good when strangers in that scenario refer to you as their “Buddy”.
We took a cab back to the house and decided to boogie board on the biggest waves of the year in the Pacific. The other old SUV that is officially referred to as “mine” was waiting for me with problems of his own; a low tire. Really low, but I’ve come to expect the unexpected and was prepared.
I wrestled the compressor, air hose, air chuck, and electrical cord away from the spiders and filled up the tired tire. All the while I was spitting cobwebs from my mouth and pawing them off my face and head like a clumsy bear.
I didn’t think much about my shoulder just six months out of major surgery until after I’d been knocked down and arm barred by the tag team of wicked Pacific waves. I was nursing the cuts on my ankles from the collision with the shoreline before I realized we were running behind in our race with the clock and the closing of a FedEx office I’d never been to… No fear, I’ve never been shy of using all the available horsepower to cheat time…
According to my wife’s cell phone I knew we were close to the FedEx office with about five minutes before the big hand struck twelve and the little one covered up the five. I gunned the big V-10 off a red light to get over into the right turn lane ahead when I heard the old familiar sound of a tired tire giving up the ghost.
I slowed as the oversized SUV loped on the blown rear driver’s side tire. I made the turn and kept creeping forward until the rim and pavement chewed through the rubber. I wheeled it over tight to the curb, hit the flashers and we started jogging toward the Fedex office.
On the way home the highway patrolman just the Arizona side of the Colorado River and border finished crossing the “T’s” and dotting the “I’s” on my punching bag of a weekend with a speeding ticket…
There are days we call “good” and days we refer to as “bad”. Sometimes it takes really hard days to put things into a proper perspective.
There was a time I’d have cussed a day or a wobbly weekend like that and swore it was a plan hatched in the devil’s kitchen…I’ve had enough real life days in this fallen world to know that it was a taxing and expensive weekend… but not a bad one.
Each day is a gift… I just forget and need to be reminded sometimes…
It was a wobbly weekend, but a good one to be sure…
Pam
Sunday, October 5, 2014 @ 5:33 pm
What a weekend of calamities, Floyd! Good to hear you kept things positive despite the onslaught. That is when we are our greatest witness to the difference Christ makes in our lives. Glad you are safely back home. May your week be blessed.
Nancy
Sunday, October 5, 2014 @ 5:42 pm
“Through it all…through it all…I learned to trust in Jesus, I learned to trust in God… through it all…through it all…I learned to depend on His Word”. The times like you described always bring back those words by Andre Crouch. Boy can I relate to days like that. We just know that “stuff” will happen in this broken world, but that we have been given the tools to deal with it on a higher plane. You did well!
June
Sunday, October 5, 2014 @ 6:32 pm
I feel your pain, friend. We were 450 miles into our vacation when we had to replace all four, yup, all four, tires on our truck last month. That pretty much nixed 1/2 of our vacation budget right there. But I also love your perspective and am thankful to share it. Instead of being grumpy about the 2+ hours lost at the tire shop (not to mention the $$$) I was praising God and thanking Him that my husband saw the problem before we had a potentially dangerous blow out, in the middle of nowhere Texas. He protected us – Big Time. God’s awesome like that. Hope your shoulder is feeling better after all that surfing! Have a blessed week – and stay out of the break down lane!
Lisa notes
Sunday, October 5, 2014 @ 7:24 pm
I couldn’t help but smile though. I’ve had those kind of wobbly weekends too–not necessarily life-crushing but definitely nothing happy about it either! It sometimes takes a lot of time afterwards before I can get perspective, but I’m thankful when it eventually does comes. And it helps hearing other people’s stories too to put my own into perspective. Thanks for sharing yours, Floyd.
Hazel Moon
Sunday, October 5, 2014 @ 10:54 pm
There is nothing like a flat tire to deflate our joy, not counting the metal on metal. I could relate so well, and your story triggered a memory that I will write about soon. Thank you so MUCH for sharing this at “Tell Me a True Story.”
Chuck Allen
Monday, October 6, 2014 @ 7:54 am
Yep. I’ve had weekends like that. I love your perspective – acknowledging that it could be a lot worse. 🙂
Bill (cycelguy)
Monday, October 6, 2014 @ 8:57 am
Wobbly weekends. Wicked weekdays. They are all saying the same thing: “you are not in control.” But you handled it well my friend. Just remember: there will be better days. 🙂 I know…don’t you just hate that kind of talk?
TC Avey
Monday, October 6, 2014 @ 10:00 am
Isn’t it interesting how God changes us? Even changes our definitions? He gives new meaning and fresh perspective on life. The more I grow in Him the more I realize how wrong I’ve been about so many things.
“Good days” “Bad days”…they’re all a blessings.
Sharon
Monday, October 6, 2014 @ 1:57 pm
Sometimes Murphy (as in “Murphy’s Law”) comes along for the ride. And he’s not a good passenger. There have been days, many days, in my life when one thing after another seems to go wrong. Before I know it, I’m all caught up in grumbling and complaining and negative thinking. It’s natural, sure – but part of the reason that Jesus died is to free us from that *natural man*!!
So, your post served as a great reminder that even the wobbly days are ordained by God, and have a purpose. Not the least of which is to remind us how much we need Him.
“The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9, NASB)
“This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24, NLT)
My takeaway from your post, and those verses above? Hold your plans loosely, let the Lord lead, and know that every day, even the ones that are horrible, were already on God’s calendar. We can have JOY in knowing that we are watched over – ALL THE TIME!
GOD BLESS!
(You know the other thing I thought when I read this? This adage: If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans!)
Shandra White Harris
Monday, October 6, 2014 @ 5:58 pm
Perspective is everything!
Betty Draper
Monday, October 6, 2014 @ 7:48 pm
Now I am not sure you will get this comment without me attaching some perspective to it. But here goes, I love having car problems in the states. First of all there is always somewhere to call for a tow truck, a place to fix, a place to purchase anything one needs to fix anything on the car, truck, camper. For sure it a glitch in the vacation, weekend get away or just traveling to and from someplace but these things usually never put a total stop to our travel. After living in two third world countries where auto problems are fixed with hairpins and other object never intended to fix a car there is a peace when the tire goes or anything else for that matter here in the states. How we were never killed on the roads in Bolivia or Papua New Guinea only tells me for sure one is never going till God says, come on home. You word ring true my brother, it could have been so much worst. Thanks God you even have a car to break down in. Life is certainly about perspective and yours is spot on.
Dolly@Soulstops
Wednesday, October 8, 2014 @ 8:24 am
Floyd,
Oh, I’m sorry for your difficult weekend. I’m very glad nothing happened to you and your family as I know how scary it can be when a tire goes flat when you’re on the freeway…your comment about a clumsy bear made me smile 🙂
Joanne Norton
Wednesday, October 8, 2014 @ 9:12 pm
As usual, you shared reality. I sure wanted to know more about the Pacific where you were involved. And other things, of course. But I’m thoroughly convinced that you have the Lord buried deeply in your heart, so, no matter what is going on around and about, you focus on Him as quickly and as often and as long as possible.
Think of you often.
child of God
Thursday, October 9, 2014 @ 11:07 am
You are standing on solid ground and the fruit of the Spirit is growing and spilling over. 🙂 I see these types of things as tests from Father. It seems to me you are passing with flying colours!
Blessings brother.
Jason Stasyszen
Thursday, October 9, 2014 @ 12:34 pm
I’ve had some “bad” days like that recently where multiple things go wrong and stress mounts. As hard as it is to see at the moment, there is a choice. There’s always a choice in it. Do we focus completely on the negative or the lack? Or do we look into the face of Jesus? Do we consider He who bore a shameful cross and suffered at the hands of sinners before we declare the final “I give up” and excuse/justify ourselves? Man, I’ve done it wrong way more than I care to admit, but I’m finding Him in the desperate places and as cliche as it can sound, it makes it worth it. Thanks Floyd.
saleslady371
Thursday, October 9, 2014 @ 7:56 pm
I am sitting here cracking up because your beginning conversation could be mine in my car asking hubby if he heard that noise. We Arizonans are known to drive our vehicles into the ground. You are so funny. Love this one: “All the while I was spitting cobwebs from my mouth and pawing them off my face and head like a clumsy bear.” What an exciting weekend. Love the way you tell it and your attitude rocks.
Caleb Suko
Friday, October 10, 2014 @ 1:59 am
Wow a V-10! What kind of a monster do you drive? I guess I’m getting used to the smaller European engines. Our 9 passenger van has a 2.5 liter 4 cylinder and it seems to have a plenty of power!
Btw, I’ve had a few of those flats myself, they’re never fun, they always come at the wrong time and they always test my patience! God knows just what we need to keep strengthening our character!
Wanda
Saturday, October 11, 2014 @ 5:09 am
Wow Floyd the day poured on its troubles but what a great example that in all things we can give thanks and find the positive.