Car Repairs That Took Care of Themselves

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It happened twice over the last two years. First was a power steering fluid leak leaving drops under my wife's car. Then came the check engine light flashing one morning as I prepared to drive to the train station to go to work. Both serve as stark reminders of the costs of owning a car. And as we have in the past, we prayed trusting God to provide. But in each of these cases He did something different.

The mechanic warned that the leak in the power steering system was, "major." I checked and the fluid level was very low. But at the time we did not have the money for repairs, so I filled the reservoir and we prayed for help from God. I checked a couple of weeks later and the reservoir was once again low. I refilled and we continued to pray. Since that second refill the level has remained constant: no sign of a leak. I'm not sure how but the problem has gone away.

Then there was the flashing 'check engine' light that greeted me one morning as I attempted to go to work: not the jolt I wanted first thing. We prayed and then called for a tow truck. Later that day the mechanic called to ask why the car was in the shop. By the time he started work on it, the light was no longer flashing. He scanned for engine codes and found none. The car was in perfect working order and has run just fine ever since. This was a head scratcher. Perhaps one day I'll find out what was really going on. Until then I thank God for the outcome.

In the past when faced with car repairs, God has always provided. Actually I should say He provided when I stayed out of His way. There have been way too many times when I tried to deal with repairs in a way that made me comfortable, which usually ended with debt. There have also been times when I prayed before making a move and somehow the money to make repairs became available. Last year, when we prayed and surrendered, God did things a little different than in the past. He somehow fixed both problems without us spending a dime. His message in doing so seems clear: pray first.

“Be still and know that I am God”

Psalm 46:10

Random Thoughts January 15, 2019

We are in the middle of a record breaking government shutdown here in the United States. The sticking point is money ($5.7 billion at last check) requested by President Trump to build a wall between us and Mexico. Last week the president took his case to the public speaking from the Oval Office. In an unusual move Democratic leaders asked for time to respond with speeches of their own. Both sides gave their spin on the matter. Neither said what I wanted to hear.

President Trump started by speaking of the humanitarian crises playing out on our southern border where we have children being held. Meanwhile we try to solve the problem of how to handle what is going on. Both sides recognize the problem. The president's answer is money for immigration judges and equipment designed to help enforce our immigration laws. President Trump also wants His wall. What I didn't hear is why this wall is the most cost effective approach. And while Democrats label the wall as immoral and obsolete I hear little of their plan and why it is better than a good old fashioned wall. Both sides are speaking but neither is giving any real or new information.

Meanwhile thousands if government employees missed their paychecks last Friday. I have a tough time embracing the idea that a great country asks its civil servants to go without pay while politicians waste time trying to see who will blink first. Certainly I want a secure border but not at the expense of those hard working men and women whose paychecks are drawn from the U.S. Treasury. Give these families a break. Open the government. A great country does not use its own people as political pawns.

One sign that we are a nation of great people is how average citizens are reaching out to government employees. A number of restaurants are offering free food to government employees. I've heard of at least one situation where government employees were offered free rent and utilities. A guard at a federal prison was offered cash support when his story ran on the news. This is the spirit of America where we help our neighbors. This is one of the things that makes this nation great and it's found in our people not bestowed by our government.

At first I was concerned when I read about VW investing millions in China for development of electric cars. This left me wondering if the U. S. will fall behind when it comes to automotive technology. Automakers are investing in response to China's policy which is steering the country towards cars that use something other than internal combustion. A handful of other countries have similar policies. But then I read a couple of articles about U.S. automakers investing in electric cars in response to market forces. Hopefully we will see the U.S. take the lead in bringing us some really cool cars.