{"id":2809,"date":"2012-07-06T10:03:22","date_gmt":"2012-07-06T14:03:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/?p=2809"},"modified":"2012-07-06T10:07:42","modified_gmt":"2012-07-06T14:07:42","slug":"the-flat-tire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/07\/the-flat-tire.html","title":{"rendered":"The flat tire"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Yesterday, as I was getting in my van to go to our DeLand Special Gathering (SpG) program, I noticed the flat on the rear, driver-side tire. \u00a0I\u2019d been working all morning in and around the vehicle; but somehow I had not seen the offending tire. \u00a0Fortunately, I have another car I can use. \u00a0However, I saw again the necessity of back-up plans when you are faced with an emergency situation.<\/p>\n

I have AAA roadside assistance. \u00a0Yet, that would do me no good in this case. \u00a0I was ready to leave for my program. \u00a0By the time the mechanic arrived and replaced the tire, I would be much too late. \u00a0(My vehicle\u2019s spare is located under the front of the car and it takes a certified mechanical genius to even get it out from its obscure, hiding place.)<\/p>\n

Because of the 4th of July holiday, all of our SpG staff are out-of-town. \u00a0We are a ministry within the mentally challenged community. \u00a0Basically, we function much like a community-wide Christian youth group. \u00a0Our purpose is evangelism and discipleship. \u00a0I reloaded my other car with the necessities for an indoor picnic planned in DeLand and left within my alloted time.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>All during the day, I was thinking how often in our lives, these types of min-emergencies happen. \u00a0Too often we aren’t able to cope because of a variety of reasons. \u00a0Here are some hints that may make this type of situation easier when you are faced with it.<\/p>\n

1. \u00a0Allow time for the worst to happen.<\/p>\n

2. \u00a0Therefore, begin early.<\/p>\n

3. \u00a0Plan to arrive at your destination early. \u00a0People who are constantly late, plan to arrive on time. \u00a0People who are almost never late, plan to arrive early.<\/p>\n

4. \u00a0I usually plan to be at a program 90 minutes early. If there is nothing that goes wrong, you have time to breathe and reflect. \u00a0If there is a program bletch, you have time to fix it.<\/p>\n

5. \u00a0Be willing to accept the \u201cquick fix.\u201d \u00a0Not everything will be settled to your satisfaction in a time of mishaps and misadventures.<\/p>\n

6. \u00a0\u201dOK\u201d is better than nothing. \u00a0At times, I\u2019ve been accused of being a perfectionist, until something goes wrong. \u00a0Then people realize that I don\u2019t strive for \u201cperfect\u201d at all. \u00a0When the fat catches on fire, I revert back to my \u201cnormal mode.\u201d \u00a0I strongly believe that it\u2019s important to use what you have and\u00a0do the best you can with what you got.<\/em><\/p>\n

5. \u00a0Rely on your past experiences and preparation. \u00a0Each time there is an emergency make a mental note of what worked and what didn\u2019t work.<\/p>\n

6. \u00a0Learn from the past problems. \u00a0Dissect the past and examine how you can do things better.<\/p>\n

7. \u00a0Learn who you can rely on and who won\u2019t be there when someone is needed. \u00a0In every emergency situation, you need people who are dependable.<\/p>\n

One day I realized that I\u2019m a widow who spends a great deal of time on the road. \u00a0Even though I have many people in our community who treat me as though I\u2019m their family, I knew how unfair it would be to totally depend on the goodwill of my friends and colleagues. \u00a0When I got an offer in the mail for AAA, I sat down and filled out the application. \u00a0I\u2019ve used the service three times in the past 9 months. \u00a0It is a great relief to know that there is a back up plan.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>This week as I\u2019ve been listening to the personal letters of Paul to his good friends, Timothy and Titus, I was struck by the mundane preparations they contain. \u00a0\u201dBring my books and Scriptures. \u00a0I need a coat,\u201d Paul said. \u00a0Not very spiritual or is God interested in every single part of our lives?<\/p>\n

The flat tire was fixed early this morning. \u00a0Like it or not, these awkward situations are part of the\u00a0business<\/em>\u00a0of ministry. \u00a0They can destroy your day forcing you to close your program or they can become part of your learning process.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday, as I was getting in my van to go to our DeLand Special Gathering (SpG) program, I noticed the flat on the rear, driver-side tire. \u00a0I\u2019d been working all morning in and around the vehicle; but somehow I had not seen the offending tire. \u00a0Fortunately, I have another car I can use. \u00a0However, I…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":387,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,5,20,3,40,186,49,16,8,4,41,268,17],"tags":[690,688,421,7,422,699,715,701,694,689,6],"class_list":["post-2809","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-autism-spectrum","category-christianity","category-church","category-developmental-disabilities","category-faith","category-hope","category-inspiration","category-intellectual-disability","category-mentally-challenged-community","category-simple-truths","category-spirituality","category-survival","category-teaching","tag-autism-spectrum","tag-christianity","tag-coping","tag-developmental-disabilities-2","tag-emergency-roadside-assistance","tag-faith","tag-hope","tag-inspiration","tag-intellectual-disability","tag-mentally-challenged-community","tag-simple-scriptural-truths"],"yoast_head":"\nThe flat tire - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/07\/the-flat-tire.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The flat tire - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Yesterday, as I was getting in my van to go to our DeLand Special Gathering (SpG) program, I noticed the flat on the rear, driver-side tire. \u00a0I\u2019d been working all morning in and around the vehicle; but somehow I had not seen the offending tire. \u00a0Fortunately, I have another car I can use. \u00a0However, I…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/07\/the-flat-tire.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2012-07-06T14:03:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2012-07-06T14:07:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/specialgathering.files.wordpress.com\/2012\/07\/flat-tire.jpg?w=167&h=148\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Linda G. 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