The Breakdown Blessings - Part 2

Blessing number ten. My younger brother took his kids home and returned to help my dad with the car. They noticed that the serpentine belt was cracking and since they were in the area, they wanted to put a new one on reducing the risk of me breaking down in a remote area as I live 3 hours away and there are areas with no cell service.

Blessing eleven. I called three major auto part stores and only one in town even had a serpentine belt in the state for my car and it was only about 20 minutes drive to get it. Otherwise, I would have had to wait a few days to get an ordered one.

Blessing twelve. The alternator is in a horrible spot in the back middle of the engine. My brother got online after looking it over to see if he could get any help as to how to get to it without taking the motor apart. My dad and brother laughed as the only suggestion they were able to find online said, "Don't do it yourself. Take it to a mechanic. It took me six days to put an alternator in." I had been praying all along as my kids needed to get home for school Monday morning. By the time I got back from getting the belt, they had already replaced the alternator. It took them less than an hour to remove and replace it.

Blessing thirteen. My younger sister lives near me. She had come to the family lunch without any of her six children (which doesn't happen often) so she was able to drive the three hour drive taking my girls home so they could get to bed at a decent hour.

Blessing fourteen. My brother "felt" to grab a long handled screwdriver from home before he came over. He went back in to get it before leaving. The serpentine belt was very awkward and only with the help of that long handle driver was he able to get it on while my dad held it from the top. It took him longer to get the old belt off than put the new one on. He said it was weird how he went to get that screwdriver and he didn't know how come the alternator went so smoothly. My dad said outright that he wouldn't have been able to do it and was amazed that my brother was able to do it at all let alone so quickly.

Blessing fifteen. I was able to share that I know my Heavenly Father loves me with my brother. I also shared with my sister that when I started to break down, I thought, "I guess I won't be going dancing. Perhaps something would have happened if I had gone." I explained that the place where the dance was being held is right down town and has the darkest parking lot of any of the dances I have attended. Going myself probably wouldn't have been the best idea. My sister said, "You are so good to think that way instead of complaining that you broke down. I am glad that I have been blessed with an ability to see things as blessing rather than trials.

Blessing sixteen. The belt and the alternator both being replaced cost me under $100. If I had broken down even across town, or at that same spot during the day when shops were open, I would have called AAA and been towed and had a mechanic do the work. Because of breaking down at that time and place, I was blessed to have the help of a loving father, brother, step mother, sisters, daughter and best of all, a loving Father in Heaven. They saved me hundreds of dollars in repair costs and parts.

Blessing seventeen. I drove home without incident to find my angels sleeping and when I had the battery checked, it was fine. Even if it weren't it is under warranty.

I hope your breakdowns are as BLESSED!