It seems the Lord has providentially allowed me to be in situations less than ideal as I cross the Iraq-Turkey border by bus. This time, our bus broke down. I wish I could have filmed how it all happened. It started with an unusual noise of metal from underneath the bus hitting the concrete. Naturally, we pull over on the side of the busy highway. Then, naturally, all the men get off the bus to assess the problem. I stay on because I will 1) be no help unless I can FaceTime my dad, and 2) it would be shameful to me and them. Though, I was curious to see what was happening. My sideline view from inside the bus showed me that we needed some sort of rope to tie something in place to keep it from falling—hence the metal sound from underneath hitting the concrete. There was no tool kit inside the bus, so it was to the ditches they went! The first time we pulled over, a thin rope was found by one of the men and they proceeded to do whatever needed to be done and we were on our way. About 20 seconds later, the sound was back. Again, all the men get off the bus looking for something stronger to hold together this broken part. I have faith that some solution will be found because like myself, I think all of these men just want to cross the border and get back to Iraq. Sure enough, one of the men found something that resembled a broken belt on the side of the road. This method got us to a mechanic about 5 minutes down the road. Now I’m thinking…goodness, I did not sign up for this. I certainly thought that since my plane was on time, I got on the bus, and we took quick stops at the market, I’d certainly be home before 7pm! However, this broken part on the bus was an unexpected circumstance that led to plans changing, and the driver needing to figure out a plan in this time of trouble. What do we grab onto in times of trouble? There was no tool kit on the bus. The men were talking about needing scissors and we didn’t even have those! In their time of trouble, the men got out of the bus on a busy highway searching for some subpar fix that would limp us to the next breakdown until we made it to the mechanic. In the end, I’m sure they’ll have to take the bus to another mechanic in Iraq once this trip is over.
Now, this is where the Lord used this providence to get me thinking. In times of trouble, what do I grab onto? Do I get off the bus, into traffic, walking around in the dust to look for some subpar fix? In other words, do I grab onto the things of this world to provide quick fixes and comforts when I could have prepared beforehand with a tool kit? When that clanking metal noise comes, it’s too late for me to decide I’ll listen to my mechanic’s advice. I’ll now have to turn to the things that will only leave me spending more money and taking longer to fix the problem. It is not such when we turn to the Lord. We have every resource we need in Christ Jesus to walk through the trouble that comes. As all things get worked out for our good, we can grab onto His word that has all we need for life and godliness. No extra mechanic payment needed. Of course, this analogy isn’t perfect. Though, in times of trouble, we do grab onto something. May it be the firm foundation that is Christ our Lord.