The car, part 2

O fearful saints new courage take

The clouds that you now dread

Are big with mercy and will break

In blessings on your head

Thanks to Bob Kauflin, William Cowper's words were swirling through my mind the day of the car accident.  It didn't hurt anything that there really, truly, were big dark clouds that day and that I was praying desperately that the rain would hold off until I got back to the office.  I think I had a slight premonition in my soul that God was using this car accident to do something - something good - for my faith, although a monetary benefit seemed like too much to hope for.


Fast forward about 3 weeks.  The claim process had been remarkably smooth.  But, since it was an insurance company we were dealing with, I wasn't holding my breath.  I took the car in for a damage appraisal.  The gentleman who greeted me was kind, professional, and seemed knowledgeable.  He left me sitting in the waiting area after we'd looked over the car and I showed him the damage.  Half an hour later, he emerged from the back room carrying a sheaf of papers.  "Here is the estimate for what it will cost to repair the damages," he said, "but if I were you... I wouldn't bother to fix this.  Or this.  These are just cosmetic issues and won't affect the resale value.  But you probably should replace this piece here."  And with that, he handed me a check which more than covered the recommended repair.  "Since you have comprehensive insurance, and you weren't at fault, you should be getting another check from the main office once they get a copy of the police report.  It'll be for $$$$, and they'll mail it to you."


Uh... wait.  What?  Really?!  


This happened about 2 days after we'd had to buy a plane ticket for Reason.  We both already had tickets for   our Cape Cod trip, but found out that Reason had a mid-term on the very day we were travelling back.  And we wouldn't make it in time for his test.  He had to book another, one way, ticket to leave a day earlier.  It was our only option.


Now, with the news of the car insurance repairs, we could see how God was providing for us.  Certainly not in a way we'd expected.  And I can't say I'd wish that particular experience upon anyone else.  But there was definitely a correlation between the clouds I was dreading and the blessings that rained down from them.  This Thanksgiving season seems like a particularly appropriate time to recognize His graciousness to us that comes in unexpected places.