Friday, July 25, 2008

Amazing

Today my car died in traffic and cost me nearly a paycheck to get repaired, and i was told by my mother and by a registered nurse that i should get myself to a doctor within 24 hours. I was late to work and had to work late to make up for it. A friend had to pick me up, take me to my car, meet me at my apartment, and then meet me at my parents' house so i could drop off my mom's car.

It was a long day.

In some books, it might have qualified for the moniker, "bad day". On the other hand, though, i woke up refreshed and made it to the first job on time. When my car died--in traffic--it began acting strange just before the freeway onramp and so, THANK GOD, i was not in the second lane at 65+ mph when it kerplunked. I'd have been toast. And, after waiting and trying to get it to start through three green lights, a jogger stopped and wonderfully offered to push me out of traffic. He was so nice; i need to pay it forward. I was beginning to panic. I called Triple A and everytime it connected me to a person, it hung up on me. But, they called back and got a tow truck guy there. A policeman stopped to make sure everything was okay. My mom was able to pick me up--i broke down near her work and her work was back on my way to my second job--so i was able to get to my second job, even if i was half an hour late. And it was only half an hour late. The free towing covered all but a mile to my mechanic, who was able to squeeze my car in and get it fixed. I have it back. And fine, i'll go to urgent care tomorrow as soon as i wake up, i promise.

So, it wasn't such a bad day after all. I'm alive. I could ask: hey, if God could provide a person to push me out of traffic and let my car die before i got on the freeway, why couldn't He keep it from dying altogether? But, see, i don't think God often intervenes to change the laws of physics. If He did, they wouldn't be laws and we wouldn't be able to see the marvelously complex and simple beauty of His creation and the consistency and justice of Him. I don't treat my fuel pump as well as i should. The car breaking down was due to come. I'm just grateful He doesn't make me learn my lessons any harder than they need to be.

2 comments:

R.A. said...

You should have posted today, Saturday, so that we all knew you weren't dead.

april said...

Right-o. I'm not dead. ;-)

birding life list (in process!)

  • White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia ?) in winter
  • Western Wood-Pewee (Contopu sordidulus)
  • Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana)
  • Western Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma californica)
  • Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana)
  • Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)
  • Stellar's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)
  • Sparkling Violetear (Colibri coruscans)
  • Snowy Owl (Nyctea scandiaca)
  • Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)
  • Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)
  • Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
  • Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
  • Pied Crow (Corvus albus)
  • Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
  • Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
  • Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
  • Mallard (Anas platyrhynochos)
  • male Superb Sunbird (Cinnyris superbus) i think
  • Malachite Kingfisher (Alcedo cristata)
  • Lesser Goldfinch, greenbacked (Carduelis psaltria)
  • Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena)
  • Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)
  • House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
  • Hooded Oriole (Icterus cucullatus nelsoni)
  • Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx califorianus)
  • Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
  • Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
  • Congo African Grey (Psittacus erithacus erithacus)
  • Common Garden Bulbul (Pychonotus barbatus)
  • Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera)
  • Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
  • Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
  • California Towhee, juvenile (Pipilo crissalis)
  • California Thrasher (Toxostoma redivivum)
  • Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)
  • Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
  • Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
  • Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)
  • Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans)
  • Black Crowned Waxbill (Estralida nonnula)
  • Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
  • Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna)
  • American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
  • American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)
  • American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis)
  • American Coot (Fulica americana)
  • American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana)
  • African Pygmy-Kingfisher (Ispidina picta)
  • Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus)