This isn't meant to be a funny story, but a serious story about life that has some good lessons, like all life experiences. At the time, I was pretty angry about it, but many years later, I was glad I met this auto mechanic and remember his words, and can apply them to many situations in life, recently most of the situations in my life have been very serious, but his words can be applied. He didn't mean them to be humor either. But since no one died and I remember his words, stories like this can lift your spirits:
I was driving a 3-cylinder car called a Chevy Sprint, back in the 90's for a while. It was great on gas mileage, but there were very few safety features as there are today for side-impact and front end collisions. Even though the car got over 40 MPG I think, the 3 cylinder engine did create some issues as the car engine wore down. I didn't realize it, but the engine was pretty much wore out, and so started to stop idling normally (stalling in traffic, etc...) which was pretty annoying and also could be dangerous. After I quit a job delivering cafe food (also a mistake-- I was tired, depressed and just decided to drive home instead of back to work, which is a mistake in stewardship) I eventually learned to be a reliable employee. So then I started driving the car to deliver newspapers at 3:00AM and by God's providence, I delivered papers in the same neighborhood that I grew up in as a child, and we even met to pick up the papers in the church lot across from our house. I was frustrated about getting up a 3:00AM and then the car would not idle, and so I lost my temper and revved the engine very loud and fast. The poor supervisor in the car nearby thought I was flipping out, and calmly drove away, but I was just upset that the car would not idle.
So, I managed to scrape up a few hundred dollars and took the car into an auto mechanic and he said a tune-up might help. I have no reason to think he didn't fix the car, but he listened to it and just said:
"YEAH. SOMETHIN JUST AIN'T RIGHT WITH IT."
i JUST SAID, "YEAH, THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT IT IN."
So I picked up the car, and went back to work. I must have gone back to the first job--amazing that he would take me back.
And after a few days, the car stopped idling.
I was VERY angry and called him up and pretty much barked at him on the phone.
He just said:
"YEAH. SOMETHIN' JUST AIN'T RIGHT WITH IT."
i YELLED: "THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID BEFORE I GAVE YOU $300!!"
HE JUST SAID AGAIN:
"WELL, YEAH. THAT'S WHAT I SAID: SOMETHIN' JUST AIN'T RIGHT WITH IT!"
I eventually realized, after I got over my anger, that he was right. While the car was a great car in it's day, the engine had worn out and was beyond fixing, which he likely didn't know before he did the tune-up.
And, I realized that what he said could be applied to many things in life, both on the lighter side, and sadly on the more serious side of life.
It's not good to be too light-hearted in life to avoid the pain.
Then again, being too serious can become a burden also.
Peter the Apostle said in his letters to the church since his mission was deadly serious.
"Be serious, sober, vigilant..."
life and spiritual warfare is very serious, deadly business at times, and Peter's words especially ring true as I believe the church is in the last days.
But, sometimes lighter moments can happen and as long as it is in a proper place, they can save people from suffering at times.
These days, I deal with more serious and sressful issues than car problems and have been driving a car that gets almost as much gas mileage and much safer, and very reliable, the most reliable car I've every owned, and even though it has over 150,000 miles on it, it just purrs on and on, never missing a beat--
I was born in Detroit and so I want to get a Ford eventually, but, I appreciate very much the good designs of this KIA Rio and it's reliability, even though I shouldn't drive it like a 4X4 or a sports car and stress out the reliable, but tired car:
"YEAH. SOMETHIN'S JUST RIGHT WITH IT."