When Tires Go Flat

Today, Nancy and I planned on spending the day together in the Twin Cities.  Initially, we were going to see "Sister Act" at Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, but didn't know that the theatre is closed on Mondays.  Evidently the cast and crew and support staff of this entire production need to take a day off in order to recharge their batteries.  They need new air in their tires.

So we went to one of our old haunts when we used to live in Lakeland... Ruby Tuesdays restaurant in Stillwater.  We had a nice dinner - used our 20% off coupon and decided to wash Nancy's car.  (It is her car... she lets me drive it every so often).  So we went to a car wash with the older style tire guide.  You know the type, where you move your car slowly toward the center of the guide until the lights scream silently at you.... "STOP! STOP! STOP!"  Unfortunately I was outside of the tire guide and drove over a corner of the guide at an awkward angle.  

Nancy's car has an advanced information panel that informs you when the tire pressure changes significantly.  Almost immediately after driving over the guide, the tire information screen popped on, showing us that our right front tire pressure was going down... rapidly!  21... 18... 15... 11.  No doubt I had punctured the tire.  We finished the car wash and drove one block to a Holiday Stationstore to fill it with "free air" (a term that has always troubled me - who supplies them with the free air?). 

I pulled the car to a parking lot area and started to do something I haven't done in years... change a flat tire.  I was doing very well until I couldn't get the tire off from the wheel hub.  Evidently tires can be stubborn that way.  So we called roadside assistance and about an hour later some burly young man with a brightly colored tattoo on both arms showed up.  He jacked up the car a bit more with his hydraulic jack, kicked the tire with the back of his boot twice and the tire popped right off.  He secured the replacement donut and we were on our way, driving the recommended 50 miles per hour all the way back to Rochester.

It was a normal day for Nancy and I.  For the past six plus months, we haven't had many normal days. Our time spent together has been a few days here and there ... usually each week.  With Nancy working in Rochester and me at the churches in Worthington, any time we get to be together is precious, but it isn't normal.  Sometimes, I yearn for a normal day.

Romans 12:1-2 speaks about placing your life before the Lord everyday.  The Message says it like this ... Romans 12:1-2 "So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life - and place it before God as an offering."  

By this measure, a normal everyday routine looks more like what I try to do everyday. Because life isn't about me.  It's about a loving Lord who cares about me so much that he gave me a precious gift of everlasting life.

A gift that puts air in the flat tires of my life.