Learning Lessons

Or needing help?

 

 

Somewhere in time, last Saturday, my car broke down.  This is something that can happen to anyone, but I think God was using it to teach me a lesson.

Galatians 5:22-23New King James Version (NKJV)

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

I know the first of the spirit, I have read this verse many times, but God was giving me the opportunity to put it in practice. 

I had gone to the grocery store and I had pulled my car right up to a concrete planter.  In the planter was a tree.  I then went to put my car in park and it wouldn’t go into park.  I couldn’t put it in reverse either, my only option was drive and well, there was a concrete planter right in front of me so I wasn’t driving anywhere.  I sat for a few minutes and tried everything I could think of to no avail.  What made everything a little worse is my keys don’t come out unless my car is in park. 

My first thought was a plea for help.  I needed help. I needed wisdom.  I really wasn’t sure what to do.

The manufacturer of my car offers roadside assistance, but alas, I am three months out of warranty.  I had a backup plan, my insurance offers road side assistance.  I called them and they said a tow truck would be there with in sixty minutes.  This is where the fruit of the spirit lessons really began.

First of all, my first instinct is not to be “longsuffering” I don’t have patience for most things and I really hate not having something to so.  I couldn’t go into the store since I couldn’t lock my car or remove my keys.  I had to sit and wait.  I rifled through every nook and cranny to find something, anything to read.  I found a small book my husband had in the glove compartment, which helped.

Sixty minutes passed and no tow truck.  I called again.  This was my opportunity to show kindness and goodness – that is really hard when you’re frustrated, but I did my best.  I was then told it would be another 30 minutes.  Unfortunately by this time I had drunk the bottle of water I had with me and I really needed to leave the car – but I couldn’t.  My prayers were now for a speedy arrival of the truck.  Well needless to say, 30 minutes later, I was calling again.

Gentleness, kindness goodness – all things I knew I needed to display and all things hard when you are hot, frustrated and a little frantic, but this verse would not leave my head, so I did my best.

The tow truck finally showed up and got my car to the dealership.  The dealership fixed the problem and it didn’t cost me anything, which is another positive. 

Thinking back, I may have been focusing on the fruit of the spirit.  After all, I’m been known to be unkind when people tell me something and don’t deliver. I thought that is what I was learning, but really I was learning is that God is my help.

Psalm 46:1New King James Version (NKJV)

46 God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble

Sometime calling out to God is enough.