There I was, driving home from an out-of-town trip, minding my own business, when all of a sudden, I topped a hill and there it was in the middle of my lane! I had nowhere to go while driving 60 MPH in the outside lane with no shoulder and no choice but to nail it dead center! And that’s what I did! As I gripped the wheel my precious, sweet, little Elantra jerked as it rolled over that heavy chunk of metal whatever-it-was. I knew there had to be damage underneath; I just didn’t know how much.
“God, just take care of me and my little car. Help me get to a safe place. Help me, Lord.” One second later and over the next hill was a log truck stopped in my lane, and the driver was exiting the cab. My conclusion? Something important to the function of that log truck fell off, disabling the log truck. My little Elantra and I just happened to be the next vehicle in line. I missed the log truck; I was traveling much slower now.
Same prayer as above repeated many times over the next few minutes until my baby on four wheels died while I coasted into the parking lot of a small business.
That piece of metal took out the radiator, transmission, motor, bent the frame, and busted a hole in my floor exposing carpet from underneath. It almost became a front seat passenger! God watched over me the whole time. Thank you, Lord.
Totaled! My sweet little car still looked beautiful on the outside with not even a scratch. But underneath was an entirely different story.
How often do people look so gorgeous, all together, every hair in place, nothing to indicate anything less than complete perfection on the outside. But underneath is an entirely different story. Brokenness, pain and loss; damaged, bent and busted; beyond repair. However, there is hope. A new beginning is possible. And it only comes through Jesus Christ.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV).
I have a new car!