Knights in Shining Armour!

When I learned how to drive, my dad made sure I knew how to change a flat tire.

And of course since I know how, I've never had to actually do it myself! Always, there is somebody who drives up and says, "Can I help you?" I'll start the process, and never get to finish it. Not complaining in any way though.

This evening I loaded up the boys to take some old, large Rubbermaid containers to the base dump. They were broken, like so many things the boys use, and I had replaced them. I also wanted to cart away a wooden toy box that the screws had come off of yet again, several years old. I threw the containers in the huge dumpster, and dropped off the toy box at the wood pile, driving innocently around the huge mound to see if there were any chairs in decent shape, or shelves I could use. I drive very carefully around the pile, since there could be nails that you don't see and I didn't want to risk a flat tire.

So it was a suprise to see the "flat tire" light come on the dashboard on our way back home. I needed gas in the car anyway, so I went to go put some air in the tire. As soon as I took the valve cover off, you could hear the air escaping, not good. I was able to get some air into the tire, and as I went to put the valve cover back on, the entire valve moved! Air was rushing out of a hole where the valve is supposed to securely connect to the tire! Great!

Mark really doesn't like me lifting heavy things right now, as it tends to pull those round ligaments and I hurt for a while afterwards. But he was at work, and I didn't want to call somebody just to come change a tire, which I knew perfectly well how to do anyway. I was able to get the spare out from under the van when not 1, but 2 different people came up and asked if they could help! The second woman's husband had just come out of the store, so I accepted their offer. Those tires are heavy! In hindsight, watching him wrestle with the lugnuts, it's probably a very good thing I had help. They were quite tight, and he had to struggle to loosen them.

I feel very blessed that even though I have the knowledge to help myself, there has always been someone there to help me do it. I am not sore and aching, I was able to keep the kids entertained instead. And, I don't have to worry about the cost of replacing the whole tire, since we have some savings set aside just for things like this. We really are blessed when we prepared ourselves for things, I guess it is easier for the Lord to help us when we have the tools we need already.