Several years ago, Jonathan came down with a bad cold and I suspected he had an ear infection. I made an appointment with his pediatrician in St. Louis and bundled the children into the van. We’d gone only about fifteen minutes when the dash light came on in the van. At the next stop light, I dug out the owner’s manual to see what it meant. It was indicating a problem with the transmission. I called Ron. He told me to call the Ford dealer and see what they had to say. The service manager told me I’d probably make it to St. Louis and back to Union. So I continued to the pediatricians where Jonathan was diagnosed with a double ear infection. We picked up his antibiotic at the pharmacy next door to the pediatrician and headed for Union. I decided to go out Interstate 44. Even though there’s always a lot of heavy traffic, especially truck traffic on 44, it was the most direct route to the dealer. The last five miles on the interstate, I could see a cloud of moisture spraying out behind the van. When I took the exit ramp, and the engine shifted into a lower gear, I heard something give. We limped along for about five miles, barely making it up the hills. But when the light turned red and we had to stop, that was it. The transmission was dead. Somehow I managed to push the van to the side of the road. Then I called the service manager. He said he’d send a wrecker and someone to pick the children and me up.
When we got to the dealership, the manager apologized that he hadn’t been correct in his estimation of making it all the way back to Union. I thought about the fact that most people probably take out their very bad day on him. In spite of facing the cost for a new transmission and worrying over a double ear infection, I looked at him and said, “It was such a blessing that the transmission didn’t give out while we were on the interstate.”
You know where we were when the transmission gave out, less than a mile from the dealership. Yes, we had to pay for expensive repairs, but God protected us. We lost power in the safest place possible, at a red light. And then, I had the opportunity to glorify God through a calm spirit, full of thanksgiving for His provision.