It had been a beautiful day!
After spending the Saturday morning preparing, and an afternoon at a speaking engagement, I was heading East to meet up with my my gang at a family camp weekend for our church. family.
It had been a glorious day with unseasonably hot temperatures, and not a cloud in the skies.
I was enjoying the solitary drive, the freedom to choose my own radio station, and the beauty all around me
I had just picked up my favorite tea, a London Fog, and returned to the smooth highway driving, where there was a ‘wrong’ noise coming from outside my hubby’s car that I was driving.
I shuddered, knowing what it could be, turning the radio off in the hopes that it was bad reception.
The noise remained 😦
I pulled over to the side of the road, whispering a prayer of pleading that the noise not be what I knew it was …
a flat tire …
a flat as a pancake tire …
a flat as a pancake tire, and hubby was out of cell phone reception.
So, I did what any mature woman would do …
I climbed back into my driver’s seat and repeated multiple times,
What do I do?
Over and over and over again.
Then I took a big girl breath and said to myself, this is not rocket science, take care of this problem.
After all I had watched a tire being changed once!
So to the trunk I went to locate the spare, and the tire changing paraphernalia.
I was dismayed that there was no ‘Dummies’ book to guide me through this procedure, especially since the sun was about to settle beyond those western mountains.
After fully opening the jack, I realized that I needed to place it under the car frame before extending it … so, I returned it to it’s original size, and searched out a place to … place it. Well, that was torture, and the bright yellow arrow that I was certain should be under the vehicle was nowhere in sight!
Finally I placed it, using process of elimination.
The sun was really sinking quickly now!
I cranked the jack, all the while praying over and over and over again, that God would send someone to help me!
After raising the vehicle, I felt great success, but continued my prayer for help.
I happened to look to the west, to note the whereabouts of Mr. Golden Sun, and there was a vehicle turning off of the highway, and heading towards me.
Mixed thoughts crossed my mind as this knight was getting closer …
“I am going to die”
“Seriously God? This is how you answer my prayer for help.”
You see the knight that God had sent me was covered in black leather, and driving a Harley!
He barely spoke a word, and went right to work, saying that he would explain everything he was doing so that I could do it myself if need be in the future. He was a fantastic teacher! He explained every part and tool, and every step he was taking. He seemed to be a kind and gentle man, and I was pushing my fear of being murdered on the highway out of my mind.
I decided to make small talk, and asked where he lived … a simple question, right?
Then, very matter-of-fact,
he told me his wife of thirty years had told him that morning that they were done
that she had met someone else on the internet
that she did not love him anymore
that he still loved her
that he had been biking all day trying to clear his head.
I asked if it had worked … clearing his head.
He said, “not at all, I still love her.”
He finished changing my tire. He put all the tools and my flat away.
I told him I wanted to give him something to thank him for his generous assistance.
He said, “if it’s okay with you, I really could just use a hug.”
So I paid my biker hero in the currency we all need more, a hug.
Throughout our meeting I wanted to pray for him, and each time it felt as though my lips were glued shut, as though that was not what he needed to hear.
My prayer for this kind-hearted stranger:
That God would guide him home.
That he would not give up on his marriage.
That he would pursue his wife, perhaps as he has not done for years.
That his wife would give him another chance.
That his two young adult sons would be protected through this season.
That he would realize that just as he came to my rescue,
I am praying for his rescue.
itsawonderfilledlife 