On my weekly 5 hour drive back home at the end of the week I experienced a new dilemma. About an hour up the road, as I turned onto the interstate I began to hear a strange noise coming from a tire. After getting out and looking, I couldn't figure out which one it was. All four looked dry-rotted. So I continued to the next exit and determined that I needed a new tire, but still didn't know which one. It was 6 pm on a Thursday night (or 1800 for those that like being more precise). The nearest tire store closed at 6, but answered the phone 4 minutes after six anyway. Explaining to him that I was from out-of-town and needed it repaired right now he mentioned a sister store, open until 7 (1900) that evening. Heading back down the interstate to the open store, the noise stopped, then was replaced by a whooshing noise. I pulled over and sure enough, I now knew which tire was bad. One 8 minute tire change later (not bad when you consider it was not my own vehicle), I was back on the way to the tire store. By the time they had all the paperwork set up it was 3 minutes til 7, but they continued to work until they replaced all 4 tires.

Living in a state that (at the time) allowed 15 year olds to get a driver's license, I started driving legally at that tender age. Since then, I have never (until Thursday) had a tire blow out on me while driving. That is nearly 25 years of driving, because after all I am not yet 39. Another first was that of walking into a tire store and replacing all four tires. Every other time there has been stressing, straining, and gnashing of teeth, plus a wait of 2 to 6 months while I found some of Peter's money to steal to pay Paul the tire guy (said method always works well for you, if you're Paul).

The real question of course was whether I should turn around and go back to my weekday home or continue on the rest of the way (4 hours) to my home. In the end, I chose to drive on home, after all, I am young, only 39.

The trip was prayed for. The problem was in God's lap the whole time. While I had no idea what was happening or how it would pan out, I left it all for Him to handle, praying throughout the incident never once wondering what I would do. Rather, I wondered the old WWJD line. The whole incident is an answered prayer, though I do not quite understand all of the intricacies, I have seen enough to know that the other intricacies exist and continue. Why I was slowed on my trip home, why I backtracked, why did the vehicle I was given to drive needed new tires after only 13000 miles, all are unanswered questions that remain. But what was answered were the prayers, before, during and after. God is good, all the time.

While it seems almost out of context, a verse from my daily bible reading as I typed this post jumps off the page to scream at me. It is a verse that was the crux of a book (II Corinthians) that my preacher spent 13 months preaching expositorily. It made sense then, it makes more sense now.

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

II Corinthians 3:18

~~~~~~~~~~~ Did I invent an adverb, expositorily, because the dictionary says I misspelled it?