As we were driving back from Yellowstone last weekend to my parents' home, we saw the most beautiful grove of bright orange trees in Island Park. Andrew jumped out of the car to snap a few photos, and I'm so grateful he did. He captured the colors perfectly and even got a sun flare. (P.S. More pictures of our Grand Teton National Park adventure are up on
Wanderlust and Weekends!)
While I was disappointed at how the trip turned out, the good news is that we finally got the car problem figured out. Andrew ordered the ignition switch, installed it and found that the car still didn't start. After spending a few more hours trying different things, he finally decided that we'd have to have a mechanic look at it. Meanwhile, I drove my sister-in-law's car for two days so that I could make it down to American Fork for an orthodontist appointment I'd already had to reschedule twice, she had Andrew's Civic and he drove his dad's truck. Not an ideal situation, but I was grateful to have a way to get around temporarily.
The mechanic determined that the starter needed to be replaced, so Andrew bought the parts and fixed it himself -- at 9:30 at night in the cold and the dark after he got out of class. I am incredibly grateful for a husband who is willing to try to fix things himself and who understands how cars and machines work. When he doesn't know how to fix something, he finds a book or an article and tinkers until he does. He really is amazing.
Facebook friends, you may have already heard this story, so bear with me (or ignore it) if you have: As I was leaving work the evening before we finally got the car running again, I saw an envelope tucked into our team's mail area and noticed it was addressed to me. I had told my boss and my team about my car problems in case I wouldn't be able to make it to work or needed to leave early, but no one else knew about the situation. I opened the envelope and found a card -- and inside that card was a $25 American Express gift card.
It was completely unexpected and from one of the lovely ladies on our corporate events team, Andrea. She wanted to let me know how much she appreciated my help during the United Way Week about a month earlier and tell me that I was great to work with and always went above and beyond to help her team. It was a sweet note, but I couldn't help thinking that it had come at a perfect time. I was worried about the car, feeling guilty for driving other family members' cars and inconveniencing them and wondering how we were going to pay for another expensive car repair -- and suddenly $25 literally falls into my lap.
As I look around at the changing leaves and think about this harvest time (my absolute favorite season), I am more aware than ever of the great blessings in my life and the little ways Heavenly Father blesses me and reminds me that He is in charge. As President Monson put it so eloquently in conference today, "The Lord is in the details."
To me, this means He knows when car troubles are frustrating you. He knows when you need a kind word from someone to lift your spirits. And, sometimes, He knows when His Spirit should prompt someone to send an extra $25 your way.
