Transportational Blessings

I was going to post a new blog today entitled “Financial Blessings” but due to unexpected circumstances this past weekend, I am instead writing about our experience with a flat tire.  Hence the title of this post is “Transportational Blessings.”  I don’t think transportational is a word, but I’m a teacher.  And Matt says that teachers are allowed to make up their own words.

Last night Matt and I were able to attend a High Priests Group Social for our area at the newly acquired, moderately tamed, but still fairly wild campground our church uses for Girls Camp and other fun outdoor adventures.  Matt had the duty of shuttling the older folks who couldn’t walk the uneven ground from the crude parking area to the main campground meetingplace.  Up and down he drove in the Suburban, carrying passengers and lawn chairs and potluck offerings over bumpy, rainwater-covered tracks.  The thorny locust trees in that location are so prevalent, I had thought beforehand we would probably get a flat tire due to a puncture from a thorn…  Surprisingly, the flat tire came after we arrived home!

We pulled into the garage after our date and heard a crunch.  Uh-oh.  Matt commented, “I hope that wasn’t a scooter.”  The kids have been having so much fun riding their scooters throughout the garage now that the weather has changed and there aren’t wasps flying around so much.  It was worse than a scooter, however!  It was a wooden board that the kids had been hammering nails into that contained 5 giant nails sticking straight up (now only four because one of them was stuck in the tire)!  We drove right over that board! 

We could hear the air rushing out of the tire.  The kids came out to welcome us home.  Dad was not so happy.  He quickly got to business loosening lug nuts and jacking up the vehicle.  We would have to put on the spare tire in order for me and the kids to get to church in the morning.  It was already after bedtime so he went straight to work.

After I got kids to bed I joined him outside and again, Dad was not too happy.  The spare tire would not loosen from it’s home under the car.  We went through the manual instructions step by step but that darn spare tire was not coming off!  I called our friend who used to own the Suburban to ask for his advice.  He ended up coming over and we all spent about 2 hours outside in the cold trying to get the spare tire.  It was just not happening no matter what we tried.  While this friend was helping, we were chatting.  He had just spent the last 3 days as Mr. Mom while his wife was in another state visiting her sister.  He was not only on full dad duty, but his own car had broken down the day before and was at the mechanic!  He had been so busy that day he hadn’t had a chance to shower.  He had just picked up his wife and they were still eating dinner when he dropped it all to come over and help us!  Talk about service!

At 11:00 pm, I finally went to bed.  Matt came in a while later.  I decided to stay at home Sunday with the kids.  Matt would drive his car to church and take our flat tire in to Walmart to fix it after church was over but before two more church-related meetings in the afternoon.  (Whoever said Sunday was a day of rest has never served in an LDS bishopric!)

Church went well.  “Where is your family today?” Matt was questioned several times by caring ward members.  He told them the story of the flat tire.

Matt forgot his wallet so he came home directly after church (he really didn’t have enough sleep, poor guy!)  He grabbed some food and took a cat nap before driving in to town to hit Walmart before his next meetings.  What a surprise when he opened the trunk of the car and he pulled out a tire without a nail puncture and with stickers and the tire pumped full of air!  After bouncing it and beginning to roll it into the store, he realized this was not the flat tire!  He figured out he must’ve been the lucky victim of some deliberate act of kindness.  He remembered a comment from earlier in the day and texted a particular friend whom he suspected.

“Did you fix our tire?” he queried.

“Yes, I hope I’m not meddling too much in your business” was the reply!

Matt called me and told me the good news and we both digested this blessing.  We feel we are blessed.  We know we are blessed.  But doesn’t this particular act stand out from others?!  What an incredibly Christian, selfless, generous, and immediate blessing this kind friend was able to bestow upon us.  It’s astounding and it’s inspiring.  Thank you, you know who you are!!