Tuesday, May 1, 2018

A Beautiful Reminder

So my husband and I bought a new car a few weeks ago.   It's the car I have been wanting and hoping for, for about 5 years.    I was waiting for the right timing and after praying over it, felt peace to to go ahead and make the trade from my current car.      I spent hours cleaning the old car, and making it look as shiny and new as possible.   I took everything out of it, and sorted all the paperwork and on Friday evening we went to the dealership.  After a few hours, we we off in our brand new, beautiful, car.  It was exciting.   This car checked all of the boxes for our family, you know?  Like extra seats the fold down in the back, and extra trunk space for the groceries I deliver for my part time job.  It was great and we were thankful.   I have had a few cars over the last 10 years or so, and this one, for me, for some reason, was the most exciting.   I was already picturing this car, as the one we would use to take kids to games, or pick them up from school, go on road trips, or teach my stepson to drive in.   Oh how dreams change as we get older haha....anyway back to the story

So, the next day my stepson had a soccer game.  I was so excited to drive the new car to the game.   We loaded up the camping chairs and soccer gear and headed out.   It was an early one, at least for a Saturday, (I mean who plans games for 9 am on a Saturday?) and we had to be there even earlier so my stepson could change into his uniform.   So at 8:30 we rolled into the parking lot, still drinking our morning coffee, and grabbed our lawn chairs and prepared to watch the kids play, along side dozens of other parents.     After the game, we loaded back into the car, and I started to back out of the spot.   This car has a rear camera which I am still getting use to, but this was only the second time I had used it, so I watched carefully as I pulled out of the spot.    I needed a little more room so I pulled forward slightly, and then preceded to put the car back into reverse to back up a few more feet. Just as I was about to pull forward the rest of the way to leave, we noticed in the rear camera a person backing up....before I could even honk my horn he had rear ended us.    Less than 24 hours after leaving the dealership, we had been hit.   I sat a little stunned for a minute while my husband got out of the car to talk to the other driver and then I pulled into another spot to see the damage.    Everyone was fine.   No injuries, and really, minimal damage.   But my bumper was no longer in it's new, pristine condition and my heart sank as I looked over the new scratches and dents.    I have been in accidents before, but never with a brand new car....and never a car that meant so much.   Somehow I held it together.    We exchanged insurance information, while the other driver apologized and admitted he did not look behind him as he was backing out.    While this didn't fix anything, I knew we would be able to resolve this situation.   But man was I bummed.    As I sit here my husband is researching a collision center for us to take the car too, so hopefully soon she...yes it's a she ;) will be good as new.  

That Sunday (the day after the accident) I was leading worship in the middle school room at our church.   I originally thought I would just keep the news to myself and not make a fuss, but then the Lord reminded me of something.     When we are in these kinds of situations, we have a choice.   A choice of how we are going to respond.   How we are going to handle these moments.     Our reaction is a choice, and we are the only ones who can make that choice.    I prayed, and continue to pray, that the Lord would use this story for good, and for His glory.    But what it led me tp think about, and what I also explained to the kids, is that this is the same kind of opportunity we have during our time worship.   We have a choice.   When His presence comes crashing in, disrupting our comfortable normal....pushing away our comfort zone or squeezing us out of our hiding places, what will our reaction be?   Will we choose to push Him away and stay in our safe place?   Will we choose to walk through the motions, simply standing and singing because it's what is expected, or because our friends are doing it?   Or will we choose to take a step closer, dive a little deeper, let the Holy Spirit have His way?    He already knows what we hide away.   The messy bits, and all the cracks.  But He won't force it on us, we have to choose it....Respond to it.  
When we feel disconnected from His presence, it's not Him, it's us.   We are the ones who drift away, letting our focus turn to ourselves or the things going on around us.  We are the ones who are being pulled in so many different directions that we forget to look up.    But like the song says "When You walk into the room, sickness starts to vanish, every hopeless situation ceases to exist, When You walk into the room, the dead begin to rise, cause there is resurrection life in all You do...." And that is the kind of encounter I want, that is the reaction I want to have in His presence.     So from now on, when I get in my car, or think about that accident, it will forever be a reminder to me to consider my response.     To make a choice.    To engage with the Father and choose His presence.    Who knew an accident could turn into such a beautiful reminder.  








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