UnTIREing grace

This is my hopeful, encouraging blog; ergo, I will share what happened yesterday:

It was mid-morning and I was on my way to volunteer at Buddy Break, an organization my best friend Julie helps run that helps parents of special needs children. I turned my car on and it sounded and felt a little funny.

I thought, "I must really need that oil change sooner rather than later."

I kept driving. I reached into my bag to get out my chapstick and felt my car drift when i let go of the wheel with one hand.

I thought "I must really need an allignment too."

I kept driving. The whole car began to make louder protests and began to shudder.

I thought, "I'll have Jose or someone take a peek at it once I get to Buddy Break."

I kept driving. I turned on Hillsborough and was having a hard time controlling the car. The noise was so loud and now I began to smell something hideous. Within 30 seconds, my ability to navigate and go a reasonable speed was gone. I realized I wasn't going to make it to the church.

So I stopped. It wasn't that easy. But I realized that God was with me.

I didn't hit anything.
And I didn't get hurt.

God graced my situation.

I still didn't know it was my tire that was the problem. I was stuck on Hillsborough Ave (a big road in Tampa). I called Jose to come help me.

Then I got out and looked at my car, which was now smelling awful. This is what I saw:


Completely slashed. No Idea how.

So this couple about my parent's age stop to help. The husband stopped traffic, so I could back my car out of the highway and into a little parking lot. Then he proceeded to get off this smelly, hot, broken tire.

When Jose came, he finished putting the donut tire on. The couple were Christians and were encouraging and very sweet.


But the thing is: I was frustrated, thinking, "Here's more money I got to throw away that I don't have."

But seriously? I could have been injured, or injured someone else.


I didn't.


I could have been stranded without help.

I wasn't.

I could have had more damage to my car.

There wasn't.

And I know that God protected me.

So I have to believe.

That he is watching me.

That he is guiding me.

That he loves me.