Car Trouble or Not?

   As we ate breakfast last Thursday morning, in preparation for a 3 day adventure north, I said the obligatory prayer for travelers, "Keep us safe and be with us as we go."

   "Ok, that should put us in good shape, we've covered all the bases."

   As we traveled north toward our first stop, the cloudy skies began to mist and drip. The closer we got to the first place, it came harder. We were out to get some more courthouses, and taking pictures in the rain is not my favorite. But the car was running well, and maybe the rain would slack off.

  Well, we got 5 courthouses that day and were on the way to Marietta to check into the motel when I noticed the engine temperature was beginning to edge up. I had replaced the water pump a year or so ago and recognized the signals. I kept a close eye on the gauge, and it retreated to the normal position, only to jump up again. What will I do now and more importantly, what will I do in the morning as we were headed up into the North Georgia mountains to get 4 more counties?

   I honestly did not know what I was going to do. We needed to make this trip since we were up here, so I looked at my options:

   1. Take a chance and leave in the morning on schedule and watch the gauge…

   2. Look for a repair place in a strange town, and see if I had a problem…

   3. Pray…

   I had not even told my wife about the errant gauge as it had settled back into normal before we got to the motel.

   But did I ever pray. I wanted to get on our way. We had photographed 6 courthouses our first day out, but still had 9 more to go.

   First of all I prayed for wisdom as to what to do. I did this several times, in fact it was all I could think about that evening.

   Deciding that I would see what it looked like in the morning, I went to sleep praying for me, for the car, and the next day.

   Then came the morning. Loading the car I continue to question myself and pray for that 2007 car with 135,000 miles on it.

   It started fine, and the gauge edged up to the normal spot and stayed there. OK so far, and as we pulled out and began the trip north, I prayed for help.

   I must have looked at that temperature 50 times in the first 5 miles, and it just stood there, like it was stuck in normal. I also must have said "Thank You" that many times, every time I got through glancing at it.

   The weather was beautiful, the road was 4 lanes, the traffic was light, it was a great day. My reaction: drive, glance, say thanks, and do it again in a minute or two. That way all the way to Blue Ridge, GA, 40 miles north of last night's stop.

   But then we had more mountains, some of it traveled on 2 lane roads. So it was Blairsville, Hiawassie, and Clayton, and it was still normal and "thanks".

   Long story short, we made 7 courthouses that day, had a great day, and pulled into the motel in Commerce with a normal temperature. I don't know the problem, but both Friday and Saturday were filled with normal and my wife was happy.  I was tired.

   My stock phrase "It will all work out" still sounded good, but I realized that Thursday night and all up into the day on Friday, I had not lived up to that "cool" saying. I was worried, and I prayed, a lot.

   I think I will spend more time praying, before I get into that kind of spot again. Maybe I can say with confidence that God is in control and not worry so much about it.

   It did get my attention!

   I try to leave my car out of courthouse photographs, but here it is in front of the old 1825 building in Fayetteville, GA, county seat of Fayette County. Sitting in the front seat is a woman who is not worried, mainly because she does not know….

   But God and I did...