What's the saying? When it rains, it pours?

I really feel that saying today. Recently my '99 Chevy Blazer decided that it was tired. In being tired, he decided to rebel totally in order meet that felt need.

It began a few months ago when my driver's side door literally fell off. With the door hanging only from the bottom hinge, Emily and I bungied the door to the driver's seat and drove to Mackin's Auto Body. Apparently this is a common problem (though I had never heard of it happening) for trucks and SUVs.

A few weeks after getting my car back, I came outside to find the rear passenger's side tire completely flat. Tire completely damaged, cannot be prepared. New set of tires. In the midst of getting the new tires and getting them aligned, Les Schwab discovered that two parts were missing. Just missing. Apparently not a huge problem because they let me drive until the parts came in.

In the midst of the tire fiasco, my windshield got a huge crack in it. New windshield.

Then last night I noticed that my brakes were making a funny noise and were taking longer to stop the car. Mental note: Make time to get the brakes checked. Might have even done it this afternoon or tomorrow if my front bumper had not become so intimate with the rear bumper of a Toyota Tacoma.

I was on my way to pick up Alasha from work who, ironically, had gotten in a wreck about a week ago, leaving the Maxwell's carless. The Tacoma was stopped, blinker on, waiting to make a left-hand turn. I applied my brakes, shoved my foot to the floor, and between faulty brakes and wet roads slid right under him.

I tried to put the car in reverse and pull us apart so we could move to the side of the road. Didn't work. We were stuck together. It took the tow-truck guy about 45 minutes to pull us apart.

Driver of the Tacoma: 15-year-old Josh, Mom in the passenger seat. Poor kid. Not something you want to happen after you just finish driving school. They were incredibly nice about the whole thing. They live in Northeast Portland, as well, and attend Beaverton Four-Square Church. Of all the people I could have crashed into, I crashed into a couple of Christians (honestly not the most likely scenario in Portland). By the end of the whole messy scene, we were all standing around laughing. The tow-truck guy even commented that we were probably some of the happiest people after a wreck that he had ever seen.

We are all fine. Some soreness, but fine. My car is now back at Mackin's Auto Body (who I highly recommend, by the way). It drives fine--with the exception of the brakes--and hopefully has only cosmetic damage. We'll see...

Now feels like the time that I should "curse God and die" per the advice of Job's wife. The attacks on my car have been in conjunction with myriad attacks in other areas of my life. A lot of me says "I'm done," just done and ready to head Home--the heavenly home that is. But right now, I'm laughing. I think it is incredibly funny! After all its just a possession, and if piece by piece destroying my car is all the Enemy can muster, than Bring it on! What doesn't kill you makes you stronger is another saying I know. And I think somewhere I heard something about learning to be content in all circumstances and doing all things through Christ who strengthens me--check out Philippians.

In my laughter, I do ask for prayers. Pray for Josh and his Mom Michelle. I know this shook him up, and I saw some glimpses of some rougher things that are going on for them. Pray for an end to the attacks on myself and many others at PUMP who have had a lot of similar things happening. Pray for me to keep laughing and for joy to come in the midst of trial. Thanks!