I wanted to get through the winter before I got rid of our thirteen-year-old Toyota Corolla (with 200,000 miles on it), when the check engine light went on. I went and got it checked out – the catalytic convertor was going out – $800 to replace. Then two days later on my way to Monroe, a rock hit the windshield and put a ten inch crack in it (cost $350). Here’s the simple mathematics on that one: 800 + 350 = more than the car is worth. Time to trade it in.
I’m now driving a spiffy 2017 Chevrolet Cruze. One would think I could just jump into my new car and drive off, right? Wrong! I came to learn that cars have changed a lot since 2007. For one thing, my new car doesn’t have a key – how crazy is that?! I now have a fob. After signing the paper work, a kind woman took me out to the car to show me some of its bells and whistles. As I approached the car, I stopped to search my pockets for the “fob.” She told me I didn’t have to have the fob in my hand to unlock the doors. Again, crazy.
Crazy, but she was right, I was able to get into the car. Sitting in the drivers seat, I began feeling for the fob again. She told me I didn’t need the fob to start the car. What? I pushed the start button a few times and nothing happened. “I guess I do need the fob after all,” I told her. “Or you can put your foot on the brake before pressing the start button.” She was pretty smart, because when I followed her instructions, the car started right up. – There was going to be a learning curve with that fob.
She was then nice enough (or mean enough) to “sync” my cell phone with the car. After the sync up, she then began showing me all the things I could now do with my phone through the car. One “neat” thing after another this woman showed me, until my brain started to overload and I was compelled to simply shake my head in the affirmative every time she asked me if I understood.
I think she realized I was out of my element because after she had taken me through the phone options, I noticed on the dashboard it said, “Choose a navigation route.” I asked her about it. She gave me a sad, yet compassionate look and said, “Do you really want to try and tackle that today?” She had a good point. I’ll figure that out later.
As I left the lot, the nice lady said, “Come back anytime if you have any questions?” I got the feeling she had me pegged for a once a week visitor.
When I was half way home my phone rang. Magically, a picture popped up on the car screen telling me it was Ann. I tapped my phone to talk to her, but I found my phone did nothing at all. Seven rings later I was disconnected. Ann called again and the same thing happened, “What’s wrong with my phone?!”
She called again. I pulled over and gave the phone my full attention. Nothing. “Forget it!” I shouted to myself and I drove home, ignoring Ann’s fourth phone call.
When I got home Ann’s first comment to me was, “I tried to call you.”
“I know. Four times, actually.”
“If you knew I was calling, why didn’t you answer?”
“My phone broke,” and I told her the story. She then informed me that when the phone is synced with the car, the phone has to be answered through the car. What? Things are getting difficultier and difficultier.
Later that day I went to the post office. It was late afternoon and no one was around. I left the car running because I would only be in the post office for a minute. I walked around the front of the car when suddenly my car horn blared out twice. I jumped straight up and then ran out of the road, thinking my car was now working on its own and was going to try and run me over. I’ve since learned that if you leave the car running and the fob gets a certain distance away, the horn lets you know you’re an idiot.
Now there’s a point to this story and it’s this: Sometimes new things are very frustrating. If you would have asked me that day if I would trade in the fob for a key, I would have said, “Yes, please.” But, I also know in one month, I am going to absolutely love all the bells and whistles in my new car and I’ll even come to see that a fob is better than a key. Change is hard. It’s uncomfortable, but often times the change is ultimately good.
We are going to have to trust God with our current situation. We’re going to have to trust that God will work through these difficult days and bring us to a new time – uncomfortable in some ways yes, but ultimately for good. And in time, we’ll embrace the new ways, and celebrate God’s great plan.
~ God bless, Dan