Have A Little Faith In Life!

Every now and then life just seems to creep up on me, things start going from bad to just a little bit worse and each day seems like it should be labeled: "No Relief In Sight". So, it's just one day at a time and one foot in front of the other as the days go by. 
Then, something will change, a spark of an idea followed by another logical conclusion, a phone call here and an agreement there and within 24 hours something that seemed impossible to overcome has found resolution. 

Well, maybe I should explain that I believe miracles happen every day:...but not the hocus-pocus type. I mean the kind of human miracles that are the result of a beautiful kind of synchronicity, the kind most people chalk up to luck. I just had to know how to see them and how to appreciate them. Because a miracle by any other name that brings joy and peace to someone is certainly cause in my book for wonder at the greatness that this world and the people in it can hold. 

As some of my closer friends know, my mini-van has been on the injured list for several months now, waiting for a solution to transmission failure. At this time in my life, my choices were replace or rebuild: the first proved to be difficult because my van is a 1996 and low mileage replacements were very scarce; the second was even less of an option because the vehicle was not worth investing the money to have the transmission rebuilt.

Time was getting short and my nerves were going from slightly to raggedly frayed as I relied on my son, my mom and my best friend to take me to the necessary places I visited each month for groceries and other home necessities. I had to make a decision, and I realized it was time to face the truth: I had to borrow the money from my mom to replace the vehicle, but I needed (if at all possible) a reliable source for this challenge.

Last night I called my niece's husband who works at a local Honda dealership and asked for his feed back on my situation. After he assured me that my thinking was rational and (all things considered) practical, I asked if he might know of a vehicle in my price range that was worth investing in. 

Now, my niece, Leslie, is truly a sweetheart and Brett is the perfect compliment to her personality. He assured me that he'd not suggest any vehicle that was not safe, something I just took for granted. He was so comforting and thorough that I knew I had made a good choice to call him.  And, he had a vehicle that he thought might fit my needs.

Long story short: My son, Ray, and I met Brett at the dealership at 9am this morning, we looked at the car and liked it; for our test drive, we took it to my mechanic for a once-over (and pick up the license plate from my mini-van). My son noticed a wobble in the front end, which turned out to be a tire that was beginning to show some wear on the belts. He mentioned this to Brett and a couple hours later I drove the car home with a "nearly new" set of tires and a great feeling of peace in my soul. 

My point to all this is that sometimes we become so burdened with the challenges of life that we just want answers, solutions and resolutions...and we want them right now, especially if we've had to struggle with a certain life issue for a period of time. I read in a book somewhere that when you don't know what to do, don't do anything at all, just trust that the answers you seek will come when the time is right. It wasn't easy, but I waited, and prayed and trusted some more. The answer came!

Best of all, I know this is right. It feels right and has played out just right. My mother's generosity in lending me the money is basically the pivot point that made it happen, and the candle of gratitude I lit was for her, Brett and his staff. Simply put, never give up, and don't give in until you feel absolutely right about your decision.

Don't let "I shudda" keep you from experiencing all life has to offer. Go for the gusto and meet life head on. I'll never know what is beyond the next curve until I get there, but if I stop before I get there, I've possibly thrown away any chance of finding out.