thanksgiving and alternators

Tonight, I drove downtown to visit Tim at the hospital.

Tim is a friend from our community who was in a 4-wheeler accident on Thanksgiving. He shattered some vertebrae in his upper back, but doctors performed successful surgery on Friday and Tim will make a full recovery.

We praise God for Tim’s health and pray for his recovery in the coming months.

Tonight, while attempting to "re-park" my car, it died. I knew last week she was tanking. I recently poured her market value into repairs, and mailed the final loan payment in last week. After years of interest, she was mine.

I didn’t get to see Tim tonight.

I got my first jump from a family exiting the hospital. They left. She died shortly after. I called Andrew, my trusty friend and business partner. He came and jumped her. I made it down the street, then she tanked, again. We jumped it and let it sit while I talked to Tim on the phone. Tim said he'd help but he was in the hospital. We started her up and coasted into the Wealthy Street Market parking lot, where she died. Again.

There, a man informed us we were stupid and were jumping the car for no reason; he told us the alternator was shot. It’s the same thing Tim, the hospital security guard and Andrew all said, too. I think they're right, I’m no mechanic. Cars and I don't click. Undeterred, we continued to jump the car, drive for a few blocks, let it die and repeat.

But we made it. Finally, we arrived at home, bulldozing in the wrong-way on a one-way.

On many nights, things like this would frustrate me. Not tonight. One of these days, I’ll get the alternator fixed, though I won’t lose my mind over broken-down cars, because they’re going to break again. And again. And again. In the big picture, a car has very little value. It’s just another possession. Tonight isn't about an alternator. It's about perspective. It's about thanksgiving.

Tomorrow morning, I will visit Tim, and I will praise God for his life.