On my way home last evening I heard a sound that most of us dread. It was a subtle hissing noise and for a second I didn’t quite know what it was. I soon found out that my front driver’s side tire was quickly loosing air. I was on the Interstate so I came to a safe stop on the shoulder of the highway. I realized that I was in a pretty bad location as cars might not see me when they speed through the curve behind me. My first action was to call *55 and have the Highway Patrol come out as I was extremely nervous to change a tire with 70 mph traffic at my backside. I did my best to move the car further off the shoulder so that I could have as many inches as possible. My next thought was to exit the vehicle and begin making preparations for a quick tire change. After all I did not want to tie up a trooper for my non-emergency flat tire. Once I completed the preparations I waited for 15 minutes or so and still no Missouri Highway Patrol. Thoughts went through my head suggesting that I could go ahead and change the tire without the assistance. After all I even saw 2 police cars drive by and they did not give a second thought to assist me. I still tried to remain patient in waiting. Within a few more minutes I saw a familiar car pull up in front of my car. It was my friend Tim. What a coincidence I thought. Tim walked back and was ready to help. I voiced my concerns to Tim and he joked that he would yell if he saw a car in our path. That still did not make me feel too comfortable. We waited about 5 more minutes to see if the trooper would get there, but still no additional help had come. Tim went ahead and watched my back per se as I gave it the old boy scout try of getting my sliced up tire off and placing my spare on. I think that I completed it in record fashion, and I felt like I could join a Nascar pit crew. I say all of that to say this next paragraph and to reflect on this question. “Why did God allow me to get a flat tire?”
I arrived home in just a few more minutes and yes I did remember to cancel the Highway Patrol. When I walked into the house I had a living room full of legos, and the kids were building like true construction workers. Soon after I arrived home we received a phone call informing us that some friends of ours were requesting prayer for their daughter who was having a medical emergency. Within the next 15 minutes we received another call informing us that our friend’s almost 7 year old daughter had died. I was immediately drawn back to the thought of my own immortality, and the thought that I need to evaluate what is truly important.
I had a small lesson yesterday in knowing that we are not in control of our circumstances. We do not know how much time God has granted us on this earth. I feel for our friends who are dealing with this tragic death. There is no way that I could offer them words of encouragement other than just letting them know that we care and that we are praying for God’s Grace in their lives. I may never know why I left work a 3:30, and why I had a flat tire at 3:55, and why I had the patience to wait and why it just so happened that a friend of mine was driving by and saw me with my flat tire. And we may never know why a family has to go through a premature death of a child, but we can learn to at least recognize that our time is limited. The time that we take to spend with those we love is invaluable, and we will never know when that last time may come. So in the mean time I know that I need to make time for Legos , and enjoy my time with my children and my family while I have it. Please pray that God’s Grace and Peace may be upon the Osborne Family, and that God would be glorified through this tragedy.