Putting It Into Practice...

I am so glad I wrote that thankfulness post this morning. I am glad because it gave me the right perspective for what happened this evening.

On our way to a hotel to visit friends who are in town, we stopped at a red light. Our car shut off. Matt started it. Then he put it in gear. Well, he tried to put it in gear. The car said, "KA-THUNK!" And then it wouldn't move. You guessed it...it was the transmission.

It is now 10 p.m., and tomorrow, Teal Windstar will be leaving us for the salvage yard. At a whopping 15 years old with 225k miles on it, the cost of a new tranny is far more than the car is even worth. We are once again without a legally driveable vehicle. Am I complaining or depressed? Nope! Here's why.

1. I am thankful for the 2 years we had that car. It was given to us by a family that didn't need it. It gave us 40,000 miles, and lots of great memories.

2. I am thankful that it died on the way to the hotel at 4 p.m., instead of on the way home at 10 p.m.

3. I am thankful that Matt was driving, and that it didn't die when I was alone on my way somewhere in rush hour traffic...like I would have been if we hadn't been going to the hotel.

4. I am thankful that it happened right as we got off the freeway, not on the freeway during rush hour.

5. I am thankful for the nice man who left his car running at the stoplight in order to help us push our car to the gas station a block away.

6. I am thankful that Enterprise car rental agency was 1/4 mile away from the gas station.

7. I am thankful that the AAA tow truck was only 3 miles away, and not occupied with another call when our call came in.

8. I am thankful that a mere 30 minutes after the car died, the tow truck was hauling our car home, and we were on our way to the hotel driving the new rental car.

9. I am thankful that the money was in my bank account to cover the cost of renting a car for a week.

10. I am thankful that God already knew this was going to happen, and that He already has a solution to this car problem prepared for us.

Now we embark on the great adventure of buying another car. I am not worried about where the money is going to come from, nor am I worried about what kind of car we'll end up with. I am anticipating that God is going to do something really cool, and one week from now, I'll be driving a car that is just right for us. Stay tuned!

P.S.
11. I am thankful that it was the van with no air conditioner that died!