Praise Gauge

Praise Gauge
By Marilyn Wilkerson

My Thanksgiving trip was arranged; my airline tickets were purchased by family members. I rejoiced in knowing that I would be a part of a large family celebration. I have missed being around the extended family I knew as a child. This celebration of thanks was to include my two sisters and their spouses, two nephews, four nieces, my parents, and one of my sister’s in-laws. Even my fiancé would join us for Thanksgiving this year, for the first time. What a grand day of thanks we would have.

Still, I wondered whether my car would make it to the airport. For months, I have been trying to get my car fixed. It overheated when I ran multiple errands and made many stops in one trip. It also overheated when I drove more than 15 miles down the highway. My crippled car and injured knee have held me hostage near my home.

My trip arrangements were finalized just a few days before my scheduled departure. Mechanics were too busy to try fixing my car again. Car rental locations either had no cars or would not rent to me, since I lacked the proper credit cards.

My son and I took a practice run to see how my car might fare. We ran errands, stopping multiple times, then drove 25 miles. For the first time in many months, my car performed adequately. I praised God for His goodness, and I prayed that I would have no car problems on my trip to the airport.

The airport was about 80 miles from my home and my flight was scheduled for 7 a.m. Knowing that I might have to stop a few times to allow the car to cool down or to add water or antifreeze, I planned to leave my house between 3:00 and 3:30 a.m.

Leaving that early would allow time to break down. Hopefully, it would also allow me to avoid Houston rush hour traffic. I just knew that if I ended up in stop and go freeway traffic, that my car would be useless. On the other hand, if I did break down in the wee hours of the morning, how safe would I be? I wondered.

I packed up my car, checked the car’s fluids and made sure I had jugs of water, then started north on the highway towards the Houston airport. Just 15 miles down the road, the temperature had already climbed to a borderline danger point.

I screamed, "No God! Please help me. I need your help Lord."

After I uttered those words, the temperature gauge dropped to its lowest mark. Poof. The temperature was high one minute and low the next.

I praised God heartily for His help and all the way to the airport, I sang praises to Jesus. The car’s temperature gauge moved a bit. It climbed just a bit, but no more than on a normal car on a normal day.

Next week, when I return home, I plan to do the very same time. Jesus is the best road protection I know!



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I arrived back in Houston when rush hour traffic should have been finished. Unfortunately, it had rained a bit that day and rain was still slightly misting the roads and windshields. My attention was drawn to the road and to drivers who acted as if they had never seen wet roads. I had driven almost 20 miles before traffic thinned out enough for me to relax and begin to sing praises to God. By then, the temperature had climbed to the danger zone and I contemplated stopping to allow the car to cool. But I persevered. I sang praise choruses and hymns and the gauge dropped just a bit.

About 15 miles from home, the temperature reached its highest mark on the gauge, and I stopped at a convenience store. I telephoned my son to inform him of my progress and waited while the car cooled. Shortly, I was able to finish my trip.

Today I went to the doctor's office 15 miles from home, so he could check the healing progress of the knee I injured in March and offer advice about treating my back, which I injured on my trip. As I drove into the parking lot at the doctor's office, steam leaked out from under the hood. I'd forgotten to activate my favorite road protection.