POP! "Danielle, what was that?"

You know how in the movie Cars the automobiles are animated to look all personified and human-like? Oh, Lightning McQueen's headlight stickers are positioned to make him look kinda arrogant; Doc Hudson's grill is twisted to make him look gruff and grumpy.

I am pretty sure there is some moment where Sally, the cute little blue Porsche, defies what cars normally really do and turns her front wheels inward toward one another to give her the appearance of being shy and embarrassed.

Kinda like this:


This is my pigeon-toed little RAV4 this morning. And several people have told me that God must love me, because I am still here.

Before work, I went to pick up Danielle at the auto repair shop near our office. She was dropping her car off for some maintenance, and we had it all arranged so we could arrive back at the office in time for chapel. The guys who own the shop are fantastic, fair, and kind, so when I arrived, Danielle was already inside, and I ran in to say hello. Danielle and I headed out to my car and I backed out of the parking space.

As I started to turn and pull forward, there was a very loud "POP!" I looked at Danielle and said, "Well, that's weird." I tried to drive forward and couldn't. I could back up, kind of bumpy like, but not go forward. We got out of the car and the first thing I saw was the front left tire turned way in to the right...I peeked at my steering wheel, which was NOT turned right; it was set a little left.

Then I walked around to the front and gasped. "Danielle! Something's definitely not right! My car is pigeon-toed!" I ran inside the shop office, cracking up. Henry and Martin looked at me from the shop floor, heads cocked a little. "Guys, something is DEFINITELY not right with my car!"

They came running right out and gasped, too. That would be a broken tie rod on the driver's side, kids. And an immediate pronouncement from both Henry and Martin about how blessed I was to not be trucking down the snowy roads this morning when it decided to break. I was in complete slow motion in the auto repair shop driveway when it happened.

It's fun; all the guys I show the picture to here at work gasp, too. And tell me how lucky I was not to be on the road when it happened.

Henry and Martin immediately offered me a free loaner car they have and made sure I would keep it all weekend since they probably can't get my car done today. Henry even offered to write a note if Danielle and I needed to explain our tardy chapel arrival and Martin cleared the snow off the car and got it all warmed up for us :)

I didn't exactly have cash sitting around for what is not an insignificant repair, but Danielle and I didn't care...we praised God all the way back to work for keeping us safe.

Feeling blessed and loved today? I am!