God’s Garage

I just don’t understand it.

I’ve owned my car for about a year, and it’s been plagued with various transmission issues the entire time. Each time, I take it back to the mechanic…sometimes he keeps it for two weeks and sometimes for just an hour…and then the car is running fine again.

Some will read this and think I’m a moron: I keep taking the car back to the same place for repairs, when obviously they haven’t identified “the” issue and taken care of it once and for all.

But I see it differently.

I have third-party warranty coverage on the car, but I know that all of the repairs I’ve had wouldn’t qualify to be covered. And yet, I have never had to pay a dime out of my own pocket. I’ve been in 4 or 5 times, with the only cost to me being some time and a bit of petrol.

I was in this morning, actually. The diagnosis was that I was quite low on transmission fluid (“gearbox oil” as it’s called here). They filled me up and the car ride home was as smooth as ever.

Now certainly this fix wouldn’t be considered some sort of manufacturing fault which would be covered by my warranty. This seems like routine maintenance, wear-and-tear. The mechanic explained what he did, handed me my keys, and said, “Off ya go!”

That’s it? I don’t need to pay anything? I don’t need to even sign something so they can somehow make a claim against my warranty to reimburse themselves for their time and materials?

“Just bring it back in if it gives you any more trouble.”

I don’t get it. But here’s what I know: this place is God’s Garage.

For whatever reason–actually, I know the reason: His goodness, kindness, and generosity–God has decided to use this place to bless me. He’s decided to use those employees–several of whom I know are not Christians due to the Hindu altar I saw in the back–to provide for me, to keep my car running…all while sparing me the financial burdens of the repair costs.

Am I a moron for continuing to take my car back to such a place? I don’t think so. I’m living in gratitude and faith, and He just keeps taking care of me.

He answers prayers. He provides. And even when I don’t ask, He still pours out blessing. In addition to fixing my car, He also lowered my insurance by $750 for this coming year.

I don’t get it, but God’s Kingdom economics–the overflow of His heart for His children–is something really fun to witness and participate in. I’m certainly not interested in taking my “business” anywhere else.

~~~

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Mathematics for Faith

Faith for Computers

What good father wouldn’t?

 

2 + 2 = 2?

I’m a graduate student in mathematics.

So, I’d like to think that means I know a thing or two when it comes to numbers.

And I do.

But apparently, my knowledge doesn’t apply in the U.K.

While driving today, I encountered an interesting traffic feature: there was a two-lane on-ramp merging with a two-lane highway and resulting in a total of two lanes of traffic.

The basic laws of mathematics prove that’s a bad idea. And so did my experience.

The congestion at this interchange was horrible! The outside lane of the on-ramp was forced to merge with the inside lane of the on-ramp, or to zoom up and try to cut into the main traffic flow farther ahead, while the inside lane of the on-ramp was trying to nose into the main traffic flow, sometimes trying to cut across both lanes in order to avoid just getting plugged up again in the first lane due to the other people trying to merge in!

The whole planet knows that 2 + 2 cannot equal 2…but the British highway engineers figured they’d give it a try anyway.

It’s interesting to me to consider: we can all be guilty of forcing the issue at times, can’t we? Regardless of the dictates of common sense, the experience of others, or general wisdom, sometimes we think that we can, by sheer will, make something work out.

Can you picture the conversation? At some point, someone likely said, “I know it sounds like a bad idea to combine 4 lanes of traffic into only 2, but I think we can make it work if we just give it a try….” And then someone else agreed and signed off on it.

But no amount of good intentions, sincerity, or willpower will enable us to overcome such untenable situations.

I suppose if I had been really wise, I could’ve used those minutes while I was stuck in traffic to contemplate the areas of my own life where I willy-nilly defy logic and sound advice just because I think that I can force my way through a particular situation since I desperately want my way to work out.

But I didn’t do that, so I suppose I’ve got some food for thought while I carry on with my well-ordered, sensible, mathematical life.

I did learn one thing, however: the next time I carry out a calculation, I’ll be sure to take into account the British factor.