Warning Lights

by Fitzysmom

Yesterday one of our dash lights in the car lit up. It wasn’t one of those minor ones like the low washer fluid. It was a major get-yourself-to-the-shop one. Of course it was after hours and the shop wasn’t open so my husband just came home.

Our car is old and has major mileage but we need it to hang on just a bit longer. We had a major health crisis and a serious job change recently that depleted all of our reserves so buying a different car just wasn’t in the plans. Oh, and did I mention that it is our ONLY car?

Not too long ago this whole scenario would have sent us into a tailspin. We would have both begun scheming on how we were going to rob Peter to pay Paul. We would have looked at each other and said let’s pray about it. But that would have only been words. We may even have sent some desperate pleas up to the Father. But the minute we said amen we’d be back to trying to fix it ourselves.

At some point on this journey God brought us to the end of ourselves and allowed us to realize that without Him in even the most minor of things we are totally helpless. You see the truth was we weren’t lacking Him in the major things; it was those day-to-day events that we went about without including God. We trusted Him for eternity, but for what Tuesday held, not so much!

My deepest longing is for that peace that passes all understanding. No matter the situation I want to feel God’s very presence and know without a shadow of a doubt that it is going to be okay. So last night I just surrendered to that. No plotting, no planning, no wringing of hands, just sweet surrender. When I started going down the path of worst case scenarios I consciously made myself stop and lift it to the Father. I fell asleep praying back the promises of God that I had memorized from childhood.

This morning I woke up refreshed instead of worn out with worry. My husband said that he felt like God had given him an answer to the car problem. He went out to the garage and tried it. Voila! It worked. Warning light is off and we’re back in business.

But what about those times when the warning light doesn’t go off? What about those times when the only car you have does die? What about when every last resource you have is used up? What then? Truthfully I’m not there at this exact moment, but if and when that time comes, I want my response to be that of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when they were confronted with turning their backs on God to save their flesh:

"If the God we serve exists, then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of you, the king. But even if He does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up." –Daniel 3:17-18

If I believe that the above is true, and I do, then why should I fret about such mundane things as transportation? I believe that God created the heavens and the universe and all therein, so surely He also controls every last thing that comes before me. From now on I am going to use those warning lights as a beacon from God that says, “Seek Me” because I know He will be found.