By Dr. James L. Snyder
I thought I got over the problems I had two weeks ago. I thought I stepped onto new ground, and everything seemed fine.
Very few times am I right, and this was not one of them.
A couple of weeks ago, I had a terrible day. Our electricity was off for over six hours. My printer died, and I needed to buy a new one. A scam artist called and said my daughter was in prison. He claimed I needed to give him $2,500 for her bail.
What a day that was. I am still not fully over it, yet I’m slowly recovering.
While getting over it, I faced another terrible day. I do not believe in karma. However, I do believe in coincidences.
It was Sunday, and The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and I did our ministry at an assisted living facility. Then, on Sunday night, we went to an evening service at another church.
In the middle of the afternoon, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage got hit with one of her famous migraines. She has migraines, ugly headaches, and regular headaches several times a week. For many years, I thought I was her only headache. But as it turns out, I am not her headache. Therefore, I guess I have to try harder.
I was getting ready to go to church, and my wife said she could not go. She had a terrible migraine headache.
The problem was that when I went out and got in my truck to start it, it would not start. The battery had died. There was nothing I could do to get it started.
I sat in the truck for a moment and sighed deeply. Then, I realized I had only one other option.
I went inside and told my wife about my truck. I said I would have to take her sissy van to church. I am not sure, but I think I heard her giggling as I walked out the door with her sissy van keys.
There is nothing I hate more than driving that sissy van. After all, I am a fully grown man, and that sissy van cannot handle a real man.
To get in on the driver’s side, I have to move the seat back as far as it can go. Believe me, it does not go back far enough. Then, I have to wiggle and wiggle to get behind the steering wheel. It takes almost forever to get seated there.
Next, I must move the steering wheel up as far as I can. I do that so I can sit comfortably. Then, I adjust all three mirrors so I can see behind me and to each side.
It takes quite a while to get everything arranged so I can drive that sissy van. Finally, after much twisting and turning, I sit behind the steering wheel, ready to start the engine. The next challenge is buckling the seat belt.
As I look at the key, a thought dances in my head: This battery will die too. Fortunately, that did not happen. The sissy van started right away.
I took a deep sigh and backed out of our driveway. Then, I headed down the street toward the church. It’s about a 20-minute drive, so I was a little late but still on time.
Then, when I got there, I discovered another problem. Getting into that sissy van was difficult, but getting out was even harder. I could not get my legs out under the steering wheel. It took me a while, giggling and twisting, but I finally got my legs out.
I stood up, shut the door, locked it, and walked into the church.
After the service, I went out to the sissy van with a heavy heart. I could not let anyone see me wiggling and squirming to get inside that van. I was not sure what to do. Still, I went to the sissy van and unlocked the door.
I took a deep breath, opened the door, and wiggled and twisted my way in behind the steering wheel. It took several minutes to drag my legs into position. Finally, I got in my seat, started the engine, and was ready to go home.
With a grateful heart, I drove out of the parking lot, thankful that I got this far. Then, I remembered that when I got home, I had to get out of that sissy van again.
It took me a few minutes to wiggle my way out, but I finally did.
As I recovered from that trip, I thought of a Bible verse. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13, KJV).
There is no problem or struggle in my life that God does not make a way to escape. Praise the Lord.
Dr. James L. Snyder lives in Ocala, FL with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. Telephone 1-352-216-3025, e-mail jamessnyder51@gmail.com, website www.jamessnyderministries.com.
