God Cares

 

It’s easy to become upset with life’s challenges, things not going our way.  But a focus on one’s self can be a sin, especially if we become upset.  That’s a sign that God is not the focus of our heart, as He always should be, because He is God and loves us --- in the good and in the bad.  Sometimes we can see evidence of this caring, even in our daily earthly doings.  I think I did this week.

On Monday morning I was leaving for mass.  I hit the garage door opener --- and nothing happened.  I tried again, still nothing.  I checked the power, and the lights came on, but the opener still didn’t open the door.  I called the repair company and told them my car was in my garage and the door opener wasn’t working and I couldn’t get my car out.  I called a friend and asked him to bring me Eucharist, as I would miss mass.  To my big surprises, however, a repairman showed up within an hour.  To my much bigger surprise, when he hit the garage door opener it worked!!  I told him that I had tried that a number of times, and it didn’t work --- but now it did.  I was embarrassed.  He checked out the other opener mechanisms, and whistling he said: “Wow!  Look at this.”  The opener’s wire cabling was extremely frayed and very thin.  “This could break at any time,” he said, “and maybe land the door on top of your car.”  And he replaced the cabling in short order.  I then rushed to church, and arrived right after the sermon, and sat down next to my friend whom I had called to bring me Eucharist.  And seeing me, he just smiled.

That very same morning, I drove to the car dealer repair shop.  The check engine light had lit on my car’s dashboard.  They said I’d have to leave my car, and it might take a few days to get repair parts.  I told them that was a problem because I had some church ministry commitments, and finding a replacement would be difficult.  They agreed to arrange a loaner vehicle, which I could pick up the next day.  When I came to drop my car off on Tuesday, the vehicle they offered me was a pickup truck.  I told them that would be difficult, because my agenda included delivering groceries, which couldn’t be on in a flatbed, and also the truck wouldn’t easily hold the people I’d be transporting.  They looked for alternatives, while I filled out paperwork and spoke with the service advisor.  We discussed her children, and how she had recently found a summer camp which really brought out their Christian faith.  It was a pleasant talk, and then we were told they’d give me a brand new Ford Bronco to drive, much like my Ford Escape.  We were both pleased, and she gave me her business card and said she’d personally follow the repair progress and call me the next day on its status.  Much to my surprise, she called at 3:30 that same day.  “Your car is ready for pickup.”  And I rushed to the dealer before closing time and picked it up.  Under warranty, no charge.

Now, I could make all sorts of reasons for those events, but what are the odds of getting two such caring representatives on the same day?  The garage door man could have said: “No problem,” and billed me a service fee and rushed to his next appointment.  And my car could have been crushed a couple of days later.  The car dealer service person could have gone onto her other work and ignored me.  But, neither one of these service people did. Were they caring people?  Yes, but considering the odds of those event sequences, I’m quite sure it was evidence of how much God cares, even in our daily ups and downs, because a Father never stops caring.  We may forget He’s there for us, especially when things break down, but He doesn’t forget.  Whether we realize it or not, it’s when we need Him.

God cares,