The other night we arrived to set up a booth for our company at a local community fair just as it began to rain. The sky had looked threatening on our drive there, but little did we know what those clouds held. We were no sooner under the tent when rain began to pour out of the sky. Not drop, not shower, not stream, but pour.
As we stood there under our {aluminum} tents watching the rain, the storm that was bringing it drew closer and closer. Until suddenly it was right over us. Lightening with incredibly loud, cracking thunder immediately following. No counting the seconds in between to see how many miles away it was because there were no seconds to count!
At that point, I decided to take the short run to my car and wait there. Aluminum or no aluminum, I was going to get in my car. So I ran over and hopped in the passenger’s side to wait it out. I had no sooner closed the car door when I saw something flying towards my window. Someone else’s tent, complete with metal poles, had lifted in the wind and was attacking my car.
My daughter had seen it all happen and, as she opened the door to wait with me, she said, “Mom, you do not want to see what that just did to your car.”
It was raining too hard to even look at it, so I took the next few minutes to sit in the car and reflect on the unseen scratch. This car was purchased only a few months ago with no dents or scratches. It wasn’t new but it was new for me. Of all the cars we have ever owned, this one is my favorite.
But it is just a car.
I thought of those people who are impaled by umbrellas on a windy day at the beach. Could I have been hurt by that tent? Not impaled, but perhaps hurt. I missed that flying tent by just a few seconds. Literally. None of the many people huddling under tents at that fair had been struck by lightening or had been hurt in that frightening storm. There were just so many things so much more important than my car.
As disappointment washed through me, thanksgiving for God’s physical protection came along with it. So, too, did the realization of how minor this really was. I have some friends and family members going through some really serious trials right now and remembering them shrank the car incident into barely nothing.
Funny how perspective can do that for you.
No deep spiritual lesson today–only a reminder to “not sweat the small stuff”.
It is so easy for us to get so riled up about the stuff that doesn’t matter. And, normally, I would have a tendency to do that, but, oh, how things change when trials abound that are so much bigger and of so much more eternal weight.
Our goal should be to keep perspective even when we don’t have that comparison. To not sweat the small stuff, even when all seems right with our world.
No easy task, of course. But it sure does make life more enjoyable, doesn’t it? And, more importantly, these small annoyances and frustrations are good practice for us in learning to submit to God’s sovereign will and to maintain our testimony when things don’t go the way we planned.
As I climbed out of the car, I hesitantly turned and looked at that scratch. My daughter was right–it was pretty bad. I wondered how long it would take to get on the schedule for repair and also about who would pay for it. But, lo and behold, God had a great surprise in store for me!
The owner of the tent that hit the car? It was our mechanic. Of all things, it belonged to our mechanic. And they are fixing the car at their cost this weekend. I am still marveling about that one.
God is good , great reminder thanks for this great story.
You are welcome :)
It’s the small stuff that trips us up! Glad you are safe AND your mechanic owned the tent! That’s awesome! Even smaller, yesterday, my husband woke me up at 5:15 with a phone call (he goes to work super early). I panicked, but he was just telling me he was on the way home with a kitten that had ridden to work with him in the spare tire well! He didn’t know what to do with it and didn’t want to just dump it. (Which we think had happened and that was why it was in the tire well.) Anyway, to make a long story short, both of us had pressing full days, and we couldn’t keep the sweet boy (2-3 months old! People who dump animals get my ire up!). The Humane Society was not open, too early for visits around the neighborhood. I posted in our local lost and found pet page. Shooed my honey back to work and prepared for a day filled with extra tasks and running around. BUT I did pray, God, please help me find this home or owner fast! About 7:30, when sane people are awake, I walked to the lady across the street. We’ve never met face to face, just in distance waving and calling out. Scared her to death when I knocked. It was not her kitty, but she immediately said, “Oh, I’ll take it! I feed all the kitties around here. People are always dumping them off.” What a quick answer to prayer! I was relieved to know the kitty was going to be cared for, we would both watch for an owner to claim him on the lost page, and I could attack my writing deadlines! I was shocked (though I should not have been) at how fast God answered this tiny little prayer. I didn’t even have to get in my car. The little things can really derail us, if we let them. Praising God for His care for even this tiny feline and the tasks He’s given me to do. And for your safety! :)
Love your story! Thanks for sharing! And that was exactly my point—how the little stuff so easily derails us (and often ruins our testimonies, too) I am not in love with my car but it was disappointing and I was thankful for the extra minutes of rain that gave me time to reflect and put things in perspective. Even that small thing played into my story. :)
We really do tend to think that our own comfort and convenience are of utmost importance until we cross paths with real challenges. God has a way of opening our eyes and giving us perspective about regarding the needs of our neighbors. We were reminded just this morning that our present situation pales in comparison to the troubles faced by family and friends.
Blessings and thanks.
Yes! So so true!
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