When my annual membership renewal came up for my car co-op a short while ago, I was torn – did I want to continue with the co-op or get my own car? I felt very unclear about the right thing to do. I couldn’t rush my decision  - the answer was going to take its time.

Then I had the opportunity to help a friend in financial distress, and all of the sudden a new car wasn’t an option anymore. Problem solved! But still, I held onto my renewal forms. I kept pulling out my chequebook and putting it away. Still no clear answer.

Then someone I knew proposed a used vehicle that they didn’t need anymore. It was definitely last millennium material, but refurbished and ready to roll. The timing intrigued me so I ended up dropping by to have a look at the car and took it for a test drive over the weekend. Funny how an old car can fit you like an old glove. We palled around that weekend and, with a very reasonable price tag that closely matched my just received income tax refund, we were instant and inseparable best friends. It wasn’t at all the solution I had envisioned, but I really was happy with the result!

As is often the case, the element of surprise or being caught off guard works well for me. If I have time to fret and worry, I usually get pulled off balance and even out of the picture. Anxiety loves to create missed opportunities.

Finally free of the usual time constraints of the car co-op, I headed back up to the Laurentian mountains at my leisure to visit a close friend for the evening. It’s such a treat to drive into the mountains at sunset. Everything has a “rose coloured glasses” look and feels just that much more special. My friend’s daughter and boyfriend were in town as well and we ended up having a delicious barbeque and a lovely chance to catch up.

Dinner ended late so I didn’t end up hitting the road until after 11 pm. Fortunately my friend lives only an hour out of town so it’s not a big deal to get home at a reasonable hour. Armed with a strong coffee, I was down the hill and just at the corner of the small highway junction when I got a very unexpected flat tire. I was already at the intersection so I slowly crossed the street and pulled into a lot that looked like an old gas station. Flat tire changing not yet a part of my physical vocabulary, I locked up the car and went to the phone booth over by the closed store across the street. My friend’s line was busy, so I just stayed in the booth and kept calling.

Some time must have passed and I have to tell you, it’s an odd feeling being on a dark stretch of road at night with nary a person in sight. The imagination springs to life!

Suddenly there was a knock on the window of the phone booth. A very friendly looking woman was holding up the phone number of a towing company. She had heard my tire blow out and wanted to make sure I was okay. Obviously surprised, I thanked her and mentioned that I thought it best that I contact my friend to come and pick me up and then deal with the car the next morning. With that, she smiled and disappeared back to the darkness.

Well, someone was on the phone for a long time and another twenty minutes passed before I heard the friendly tap on the window again. I explained to my new friend that I was patiently waiting for the phone line to be free, and I had no problem with waiting until then. She reminded me that if there was any problem the towing company was available 24 hours. And off she went.

A little while later, and no success with the phone, I was starting to get a little weary. Nice girls don’t sit around empty highway stops, especially at night. Determined, I was back in the booth when over came my new friend again with an offer to drive me herself! A gift is a gift is a gift, so off we went around the corner to get her truck and head back into the hills. Talk about grateful. This was one special helper!

Everyone back at the house was glad to see me delivered safely, once they got off the phone of course. It was decided that I would get a ride back to my car in the morning and take it from there (from where?).

After a good sleep, and a call to my office, it was time for my lift back to the car. I had no idea how I was going to deal with this. Where would I get a tire and how would I get it on my car? Learning curves, up ahead.

My friend’s daughter and boyfriend were heading back into town so they happily dropped me off where I had parked my car, and to my amazement I had landed on the lot of a tire store and garage! Could fate have been any more precise in where it steered me? I don’t think so. The other two had a big chuckle about my car’s uncanny sense of direction. Tell me about it!

In no time I had ordered my tire and had time to head over for a coffee across the street. The tire store manager, it ends up, knew my whole story before I got there because the woman who had picked me up was his neighbour. I even got the chance to go over and say a proper thank you. And, believe it or not, she insisted on thanking me (!)(?) because while driving home afterwards, her battery light had come on. She went to have it checked out earlier that morning and she had to have it replaced, something she wouldn’t have known in time for her trip later that day if she hadn’t spent that time on the road with me.

When they say that God works in mysterious ways, I really and truly believe it!