“Padre said we should ‘give up’ complaining for Lent.”
That was a comment, from the lady writing out the title for our “new car” we “were forced” to buy last week, as we related how much worse the situation could have been.
Evidently, she thought most people would be more unset than we were after having a vehicle go caput 120 miles from home. It was quite the contrary for us as we dealt for our purchase.
Yes, it was a costly inconvenience, but we felt fortunate the problem occurred where there was assistance, rather than 25 miles from “nowhere,” in a middle-of-the-night blizzard, or the like.
“Tannie,” our “new car last April,” turned out to be one was the poorest investment-wise we’ve had in four-plus decades.
Fast and smooth, “Tannie” drank oil and consumed gas like there was no end. Besides new tires and a battery, “Tannie” was hauled in Christmas Eve for a new starter. Less than three-months-old, the “new starter” had already been worrying us for several weeks, as there would be a “shattering sound,” whenever we turned the key.
On a sales trip, we were starting and stopping frequently, and every turnover became slower. So, we decided just to leave the car running at each location, while we tended business inside. That worked for about three stops, then the “idiot lights” came on, smoke rolled out the tailpipe, and we headed to the service station.
“We don’t repair cars,” the attendant contended. However, he did add water to the radiator, and it came out as fast as poured in. Upon advice, we headed home, and got about 50-feet out of his driveway, to go no further.
A tow truck took “Tannie” 20 miles to a mechanic, who informed us a fix-job likely wouldn’t work. But, there was “the new car” we were “supposed to buy” just a block away.
The priest at “St. ‘Benedict’” (name given the Pope who resigned) had moved and left his car. A couple days earlier, the new Pope had taken the name of our patron saint.
This might all be coincidence, but somehow it seems providential. Certainly, we had no reason to whine.
Reminds us of Ephesians 1:11: “All things are according to God’s plan based on what he had decided from the very beginning.”
+++ALLELUIA+++