Two Flat Tires ~ and the blessings found in them!

Two Flat Tires ~ and the blessings found in them I went to watch Will run in Hickory last Wednesday. It was so hot when Sam and I got out of the car in Lenoir to run into Walmart for Gatorade. We drove as fast as we could to get there on time, and I was a little stressed pulling into a parking spot – thinking the race was getting ready to start. We had left in plenty of time but had gotten stuck in traffic coming down the mountain. It was so hard to turn into the spot that I felt like my power steering had gone out! After the races, Will came out to check for me and found my front tire almost flat. I drove to two stations to put air in it before I remembered I have AAA! I pulled into the Hobby Lobby parking lot and waited for the tow truck. Sam and I went across the parking lot and got some dinner (mostly for him as he had not eaten in a while). We waited in the parking lot, and I looked longingly at Hobby Lobby wishing I had time to go in and buy even just one thing. The man from Fisher’s Towing came and put my spare tire on, and Sam and I were on our way home. We had the sweetest conversation about Heaven, angels, the devil, and Jesus. We talked about how things are not perfect on this earth and how God knows all and controls all, and that there is no way we can see the big picture. And that is why even though he (Sam) has diabetes and Andrew has seizures and other things (and Peter has nosebleeds, Sam added), we know God is in control and that there is a bigger picture. We trust that and know that God is good and loves us and takes care of us all of the time – even when someone is in a horrible situation. When he asked about angels, he brought up the time I was shaken awake to find Andrew in the floor beside his bed. We talked about how God uses people and can do things without people’s help (like shaking my shoulder in the middle of the night) when He is helping us. So the first blessing was the sweet conversation and time we had because of that flat tire. While we are thankful for the people who stopped and asked if we had help, and we are thankful for AAA, we are most thankful for the timing. And I was just in Hendersonville at a meet last weekend where I could have had a flat! The second nail was found this weekend while washing my car. I kept trying to spray something off a back tire and found a big roofing nail. Another one? We had already decided to get new tires, knowing we needed to in September or October. So I was thankful I found the nail BEFORE the new tires which are getting put on tomorrow! And at 45, I am so thankful for my dad who got my tires much cheaper than I could get them when I checked here. I have been trying to keep things in perspective – the right perspective. And the tires have helped me see things to be thankful for that I might have missed. Andrew did great in his first ASU meet. He was 11th overall and 4th on the team. As Pete puts it, if the race had been three yards shorter, he would have been 10th and 3rd on the team. But we were so excited for him to be up there and to stay up there. He has gained back a couple of pounds from the 5-7 he recently dropped. He really likes his classes this semester. Will is doing well so far in his meets. He ran the Son Run 5K this past weekend and won. Our family has run this race for many many years, and this may have been the last one! So we are glad he ran it and represented our family once again. Sam is doing well. He just turned nine and loves playing with Legos. He is getting so tall and loves to see Peter. He misses him more than he realizes. When they had the bomb threats called in for all of our schools last Tuesday, the first thing he said when he saw me was, “Mommy, I am not scared. I am not scared.” Bless his heart. Maybe I looked scared or stressed when I found him at the Methodist Church! Peter is loving school and says English and American History are his favorite classes. He has made a lot of friends and enjoys living in the same hall Pete did as a freshman! He works out a lot and is easing back into running. Our sermon yesterday really hit the mark. It really spoke to me. I have to slow down. I have to put things in better perspective. I have to take that time to “be still” and be able to listen and not always be running around or talking or even thinking so hard! I found a new CD that I love. It has hymns. Some are the hymns sung by some of my favorite artists. Others are remixed. If you google Nichole Nordeman and “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus (Look Up)”, you will love that song! Thanks for reading. Thanks for praying for our family!