I'm So Glad Grandpa's Truck Broke Down

I took over the driver’s seat from my daughter. The headlights looked somewhat dim and I suspected possible problems. Down the interstate a bit further the gauges on the dash quit working, and the headlights got even dimmer. I figured that the alternator had quit working. So I pulled in behind Tyler’s car and turned my lights off, driving in pitch black, following their taillights. We got as far as Red Bluff and pulled off the highway. The truck died. It was 4:00 in the morning, Saturday morning, the weekend, in a little town in central California.

It was a vacation to Southern California. We had been planning it forever, it seemed. It was a big, big family vacation – Carol and me, four of our six kids, and five grandchildren. We were heading for Oceanside, with every day of the week planned. Beach, Sea World, San Diego Zoo, Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, Lego Land. And then some more beach. Oh, and the pool, in the sun.

We all piled into two vehicles, two SUV trucks, all twelve of us and all of our luggage. We had six drivers amongst us, so we decided to leave at 7:00 Friday evening, drive all night and arrive at our vacation condos on Saturday afternoon.

Everything was going well on the drive down, until Grandpa’s truck broke down. We were pretty disheartened, thinking of how much time we were going to lose. How much time? It was anyone’s guess. Where could we get an alternator, or get a mechanic on a Saturday morning. We called a tow truck. The driver towed the truck to a mechanic’s yard that he knew would be coming in to work sometime on Saturday morning.

Then we all headed to Denny’s. What a treat to sit and eat breakfast together in the middle of a sixteen hour drive. Then we hiked over to the city park to kill time. We played on the playground, walked down to the river, laughed, joked, teased, watched the sunrise, and had fun. Dominick, our oldest grandson, came and sat by Carol and said, “I’m so glad Grandpa’s truck broke down. We would have missed all this fun!”

The mechanic had the truck ready to roll by 9:30, and we were on our way again. Catastrophe was averted, and in its place an enjoyable few hours became one of the greatest memories of that vacation.

Lesson learned: God can break into my plans anytime He wants and I will welcome Him. It may seem like a huge inconvenience, it may be costly, or it may even be painful, but I will look for His grace and not become anxious or angry. I have learned to trust this truth, “all things work together for good to them who love God, who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city”…. Why you do not even know what will happen tomorrow…. Instead you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:13-15)