The Family Flat

Flat tires are always quite the adventure. If you haven’t had one, just wait, it’ll come.

Yesterday on my way home from church I happened to have my very first experience of having a flat tire. I was on the side of a rather busy highway and a little bit frazzled by the stranded feeling that overtook my mind and the helplessness I felt as car after car sped by me into their busy lives. So I called my brother for backup, it wasn’t that I didn’t know how to change a tire because I definitely have done it before, it’s just that this one was flat…. And I didn’t want to mess up. J

As I sat in my car awaiting his arrival two thoughts crossed my mind:

1. “What had I done to deserve this?”

2. “What was I supposed to learn from some silly flat tire?”

So along came my brother and carefully he and I took the bolts off of the tire and proceeded to yank the tire off the car. To our dismay it didn’t move. So we called my father for more backup. As we waited another man and his wife pulled over to help us. And not long after, my Dad and my Mom AND my little brother showed up on the side of the road. I watched helplessly as 3 grown men pulled at my tire. I felt bad. I grew frustrated with myself that I had caused all of these people to put their lives on hold just because I couldn’t fix it on my own. My dad looked to the stranger and asked if he had a hammer. Thinking the stranger announced that for some inexplicable reason, he did have a hammer. My dad then asked him to get it and told us that he had a feeling to grab a metal wedge on the way out the door. Together the tools worked magic. My dad was able to hammer the wedge between my car and the tire and eventually pry the two fused pieces of metal apart.

Absolutely overcome with gratitude we all expressed our sincerest thanks for each other and drove our separate ways. As I hopped in my car I realized I had maybe 15 minutes to be somewhere and I was supposed to bring food. Running into my house I found that my dear sweet sister had prepared the food that was needed and I was able to be to my appointment on time.

My mind has since wandered back onto the first two questions that I had asked.

What had I done to deserve this?? My answer: Bad things happen to good people. This wasn’t even that bad either!!!! What I had done to deserve this was simply trying to live right and better myself. I had been given this opportunity to grow and be taught!!! We are given trials because we are loved beyond measure by an incredible and loving Father in Heaven.

What could I learn from this experience??

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade- and be willing to share.

I obviously could not have changed that tire by myself. Even though I already knew how, I did not have the tools or the strength that it needed to get the tire off. None of us are ever meant to go through this life or any trial on our own. I believe that every person that is in our lives is in it for a very specific reason. Each person that meets us along the way may have a certain tool that it takes to help us get through whatever we are dealing with. It takes courage to ask for help, and it takes even more courage to accept help in the first place.

Thinking back on this experience it has struck me how much I truly love and care about my family. How they are always there for me. How I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they would be willing to do anything for me and I for them. I have such an amazing family and I love them so much and I am so grateful for the many sacrifices and incredible things they do for me. Because I know whenever I have a flat tire literally or figuratively, each one of them is there to help.

It’s a family thing.