[6/14/12] A huge tender mercy.

Remember last week I posted about taking Penelope (our green mini van, named by Kam) to our local Goodyear shop because she needed an oil change and we thought she was burning oil and how I was hoping that it wouldn't be a pricey repair? Boy that was a long sentence.

Anyway.

The burning oil thing was just due to her advancing age and is something we just need to keep an eye on.

But during the oil change they noticed that she was leaking some coolant, and so we need to have her (original) water pump replaced, and since the timing belt was still the original one and was way past replacement time, they advised us to get that replaced also since they would have to take everything apart again to replace it later. They couldn't do the repair that day, so we made an appointment to take Penelope back in this Saturday. We were all sure she'd be okay by waiting until this Saturday because her leak was very small. And the cost for these repairs was less than the top-end $$ figure I had in my head, so that was a tender mercy.

But that tender mercy was small compared to the one that we received this morning.

Parker left for work this morning and John's phone rang at 7:30 am.

I just knew it was Parker and that something was wrong.

I was right.

He had arrived at work a few minutes early and was sitting in Penelope listening to music when he heard a loud noise. He got out of her and there was water all over. 

Penelope's water pump was dead.

D.E.A.D.

I am just so very thankful that:

A.  Parker arrived at work before the water pump died so that he wasn't stranded somewhere in traffic and/or on the side of a random road.

B.  That he arrived at work early. Otherwise he could've been on his way home this evening when the water pump died. He would've been stranded somewhere in traffic and/or on the side of a random road.

C.  That it happened this morning and while John's in town. Otherwise I would've been here without a car (Kam takes my car to work) and with no way to go get him. Although I do have awesome friends who I'm sure would've been happy to help me out. :o)

But still.

What an awesome way to start the day - with a huge tender mercy! And even though this is not the way I would've chosen to start this day, I am so thankful for each and every tender mercy I receive.

Especially the ones that come during what can be a stressful situation, because they always remind me that my Heavenly Father is always there for me.

In good times and in the not-so-good times.