spare tires...

corrie ten boom once asked, "is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?"
i was faced with this question in a literal sense this past weekend...i was driving along enjoying my errands and a little bit of retail therapy, and all of a sudden from a truck in front of me on the highway, a large piece of metal comes flying towards my car...i veered right sharply to miss the full impact, as the projectile ripped the side walls off my two left tires. they of course were immediately flat, and my initial reaction after the adrenalin kicked in was anger; anger in the fact the trailer had no license plate, i now had 2 flat tires, and was left on the side of the road alone...i managed to steer slowly to the parking lot of a CVS pharmacy, where i searched a telephone book for a tow truck...now mind you, this was labor day weekend and no one was open. i finally got in touch with jerry's wreckers, jerry told me to call this other guy john at the tire store and he would come get me; john was gone, so i called jerry back, after 4 other contacts he told me to try (none being available at 4:45 on saturday) he reluctantly gave in and came to get me and tow my car to the only open tire store...the silver lining you ask? well, first i wondered why i was so angry, they're just tires after all; and second i wondered how the Lord could possible use such a situation for any good..so i prayed just exactly that - Lord how can any good possibly come of this?

it turns out that the young man, josh, that fixed my tires, was new to the area, and was searching, for purpose, direction and destiny... josh is the age of my step sons, 19, mature, graduated in the top 10 of his class, hardworking, and just needing a push in the right direction; I talked to him for a long while and he got his number to call him again, to help him connect with some other young men that can be a strength in his life...and for one older man in particular that can truly counsel him in the vocational dreams he has...

it also turns out that my insurance covers towing - imagine that...all the anger that could have been misdirected over two lousy tires was steered to His glory by a simple prayer...
so i ask again, is prayer your steering wheel today, or just your spare tire? do you take your needs to the Lord first, or is it only your last resort?