I was in Columbus, Georgia a couple of weeks ago to attend my son John’s graduation from Army Ranger School. The night before graduation, he got a pass to have dinner with his girlfriend Deanna, his girlfriend’s mother Carolyn, and me. Later that evening I would drive the hour and a half to Atlanta to pick up my husband Hank, whose schedule had changed, allowing him to grab a flight that came in at one in the morning.
We drove to a restaurant in two separate cars, the mothers in one, and the lovers in the other. As Carolyn pulled into a parking space, I noticed two men standing on the berm in front of us. They were looking toward where our young ones had parked, and they wore horrified looks on their faces. My heart lurched.
I jumped out of the car and ran. John’s car was stopped halfway into the parking space. Smoke billowed from the engine, which made a high, squealing sound. We tried pushing the car into the space, but the clutch was stuck down and the car refused to budge. The two men from the berm joined us. “Looks like your clutched is cooked,” one said. They suggested we try pushing it again. With their help, it slid into place. Before we could thank them, the men went their way.
We looked at our watches and considered our situation. If John was even one minute late returning to base he wouldn’t graduate, and ninety days of sweat and toil would have been wasted. I pulled out my AAA card, which I have carried ever since that fateful day 29 years ago when I locked my keys, my grocieries (including ice cream!) and worst of all, my baby into the car on day when the temperature had topped 100°. AAA had never failed to get me out of a jam. I had to depend on them now.
We ordered our food, then called AAA, who assured us that a tow truck would arrive in 45 minutes. As I ate, I thought what a blessing it was that we’d chosen to drive two cars so that Carolyn and Deanna could drive John back while I got his car to the dealership where he got it serviced, and what a blessing my AAA membership was. I thanked God for the two kind men who seemed to have been standing on that berm, waiting for us to need their help.
It seemed like God was in control and everything was going to work out fine, but I couldn’t help eating my food with one eye gazing out the window, waiting for the truck and wondering what would happen next. What did happen surprised me.
To be continued . . .
We drove to a restaurant in two separate cars, the mothers in one, and the lovers in the other. As Carolyn pulled into a parking space, I noticed two men standing on the berm in front of us. They were looking toward where our young ones had parked, and they wore horrified looks on their faces. My heart lurched.
I jumped out of the car and ran. John’s car was stopped halfway into the parking space. Smoke billowed from the engine, which made a high, squealing sound. We tried pushing the car into the space, but the clutch was stuck down and the car refused to budge. The two men from the berm joined us. “Looks like your clutched is cooked,” one said. They suggested we try pushing it again. With their help, it slid into place. Before we could thank them, the men went their way.
We looked at our watches and considered our situation. If John was even one minute late returning to base he wouldn’t graduate, and ninety days of sweat and toil would have been wasted. I pulled out my AAA card, which I have carried ever since that fateful day 29 years ago when I locked my keys, my grocieries (including ice cream!) and worst of all, my baby into the car on day when the temperature had topped 100°. AAA had never failed to get me out of a jam. I had to depend on them now.
We ordered our food, then called AAA, who assured us that a tow truck would arrive in 45 minutes. As I ate, I thought what a blessing it was that we’d chosen to drive two cars so that Carolyn and Deanna could drive John back while I got his car to the dealership where he got it serviced, and what a blessing my AAA membership was. I thanked God for the two kind men who seemed to have been standing on that berm, waiting for us to need their help.
It seemed like God was in control and everything was going to work out fine, but I couldn’t help eating my food with one eye gazing out the window, waiting for the truck and wondering what would happen next. What did happen surprised me.
To be continued . . .
