Lessons from Tires, Technology, and Tornados
For the second time this year, while entering Lubbock for ballet class on a Tuesday, my tire alert went off due to road debris damage. This time, I was within two blocks of my destination, with built-in people to help my son change the tire. Unfortunately, this tire was not repairable and resulted in an unexpected purchase.
I sat at my computer on Wednesday afternoon, happily working on Wavemaker business. I looked at my phone and realized we had no service. (We have different internet and cell providers). When I used the internet to chat with my cell service provider and report the issue, they were less than helpful. My twenty-ish-year relationship with this company has been tested often in the last year, at least with the service in my town. Poor service in town and poor customer service (aka willingness to fix the issues) create the necessity for an unplanned change.
Yesterday, several weather alerts popped up on my phone. We opened the front door to check out the rain and hail size. I checked out the clouds but didn’t see anything suspicious. As I explained how hail is formed to my daughter, the wind changed and the size of the hail increased. We closed the door and I checked the weather again. This time it said “WARNING” – I had my son check our alarm panel, and the whole screen was showing the warning – rotation spotted, touchdown likely. I quickly had the kids grab battery packs and charging cables and go to the basement. Within seconds of getting downstairs, I received two texts and a phone call. One of the texts was from someone in another state who saw the tornado on the news. The other was a friend who lives about fifteen minutes away. From what I can tell, the tornado formed somewhere between the two of us. Touchdown was very short and no injuries were reported. This unanticipated interruption to our day rattled nerves for a while after the storm passed.
I keep up with the regular maintenance of my vehicle, including tire rotations. I pay my cell phone bill on time, regardless of issues. I watch the weather and have preparations ready for the worst-case scenario. Disruptions like these challenge us because while we may have made an emergency plan, we don’t expect to use it.
Our Creator had a plan from before the beginning for our redemption, not as a backup, a solution to a problem, or an emergency plan. He gives us the choice to accept and follow the plan. Following God’s plan allows us to live in confident expectation rather than uncertain chaos!
