A Comedy of Errors....

I dedicate this post to Sam...as he not only lived his own comedy of errors at the Atlanta airport, but because he was unknowingly pulled into mine.

Yesterday, Danielle had her follow-up visit with the dentist after having her wisdom teeth removed last week. After the appointment, she and some friends were going to the library for the afternoon. So, around 2:15 yesterday afternoon, we were travelling down I-185 when I drove over a piece of white wire metal shelving laying in the highway. I knew we were doomed. I tried, to no avail, to pull of the interstate, but only made it to the top of the exit ramp on Macon road. At this point we were driving on the rim. I asked the girls for a moment of silence while I prayed and gathered my thoughts. I called the church for help.

Sam and Dan Liedtke were just leaving the library. They drove to a near-by McDonalds close to the off ramp and picked up Dani and twins and took them to the library. Then I realized that Sam and Dan could probably help me with the flat and the were unwittingly sucked into the fiasco. Let's see...it went something like this (and please remember it is 97 degrees and probably 90% humidity):

- Sam and Dan park at the McDonalds and run up the off-ramp. The van is sitting against a guard rail with cars whizzing by at 60 mph. The police, who had promised to send someone right over, never did. They read the directions and very adeptly got the tire changed to the spare.
- They lower the van off the jack only to find the spare is flat. We see if there is enough air to at least get us off the off-ramp. No luck.
- Sam remembers they have an air-compressor in their van, so now we pull Mrs. Liedtke (Brenda) into it and she drives over with the air compressor.
- Sam runs down the off-ramp and back up with the air compressor, but it doesn't seem to be working.
- Sam runs back down the off-ramp and Brenda takes him to Firestone (about a block 1/2 away) to get some assitance. They send Sam back with an air compressor.
- Sam and Brenda drive back around to my car (which involves circling around another interstate exit about a mile away) and we try Firestone's compressor. It doesn't appear to be working.
- We decide to try the donut (spare tire) off the Liedtke's van. Alas, it is flat. We try the air compressors. No luck. We decide to take the Liedtke's spare tire to Firestone for them to fill it up. Brenda drives Sam and the tire back to Firestone.
- Brenda again drives back around to my car, but as they are coming, Sam realizes the spare tire they just filled is leaking air. It's not looking good.
- Sam arrives with the leading spare, but then realizes it will not fit my van. It is now about 5:30 in the afternoon (3 hours later), so Brenda takes me, my flat tire, my flat spare, Danielle and the Acrees to Firestone. Sam's ordeal, at least is now over.
- The Firstone guy looks at the flat tire and repairs it in 20 minutes. (Just think. If this had been plan A, we would have been out of there in about an hour). But, they will not drive me back to my van. My brother-in-law can come and pick us up after work. That will not be until 6:30. He arrives and we leave the twins as their Dad is coming to get them at this point.
- Rene, Dani and I arrive at the van and Rene puts on the good tire. I get in. Turn the key. Nothing....battery is dead from the flashers going for 4 hours. (And don't forget we have had to circle the exits to get back to my car). I have a small electric battery charger which is not long enough to reach into Rene's truck. Rene has removed his jumper cables out of his pick-up. (It should be noted that at this time, approx. 7 p.m., a man stops to ask if we need help. First person who stopped. Said he works on cars. We said "no" and he drove off just as we realized we had no working jumber cables).
- Rene drives us to KMart. Where I buy jumper cables and large bottle of drinking water.
- We jump start the car (and this took quite a while...it was deader than a doornail). The car sputters. It is out of gas or at least can't get any as the van is sitting on a hill.
- Rene is now off to get gas. I let the car coast down the off-ramp, around the corner into the McDonalds parking lot so at least we don't have to drive around. Rene goes to Spectrum. No tanks. He drives to KMart. Buys a tank. Goes to Spectrum gets gas and brings it to McDonalds.
- We put gas in the tank and have to jump start it again as it did not run long enough to charge the battery (again this takes several minutes). Now it is 8 p.m. and we are finally on the road again.

Whew....I know there is a sermon illustration in this somewhere, but I can not for the life of me figure out what it is. I can say that 13 years ago, I would have been having a fit of rage (which would have, no doubt, included throwing things and language unfit for the truck stop). I was perfectly calm and accepting through the whole thing. I just kept thinking about what Pastor said about God knowing ahead of time, what our "trials" are going to be. I'm thankful for a church, friends and family that are willing to join in the fray. Thanks to everyone that helped.