If you read my blog last week, you know that the week was a hard one for me. Two friends passed away and I was devastated and faced with my own mortality and the certainty that death comes to everyone. I got through that week, only to be faced with another challenge.

My husband and I have one vehicle. For many years, when both of us were working, we had two, but once I had my stroke and my husband retired, he started doing most of the driving, so we just have one car now. We drove that car for thousands of miles last month to get to graduations and then at the beginning of June to go to the beach to meet my brother from Colorado. All of those trips were definitely worth the exhaustion I felt when we got home. Unfortunately, the car is feeling the effects of that long, arduous trip, also. On the way to the visitation for my dear friend, I noticed the engine was grinding so I told my husband that it needs to be checked again. Just before our trip, I paid almost $1000 for repairs because it needed a new valve cover gasket. So, I am not looking forward to new repair fees. When my husband checked the oil on Saturday morning, it was low, so he added oil. Now I have an appointment tomorrow to take the car in to have it checked for oil leaks and to have the oil changed again. That sound you hear is a big sigh from me.

My scripture verse this morning is one that I am now working on memorizing because I really need it.

That word “as” is very important in this verse. Joy and peace come at the same time that we trust in Him. That’s where we find our hope. So, even as I am frustrated about the car, anxious about the finances to pay for it again, and disappointed that this is happening now, God is telling me to trust and He will give me joy, peace and hope. That is quite a promise and one I really needed today.

We need to start looking for another car, but we are in total disagreement about what to look for. My husband wants a car for $5000 or less, so he is looking for what I call a “junker clunker.” I don’t want to put more money into repairing a car while we are paying for it, so I want to look at a mid-priced car with lower mileage, thinking it would last longer. We are not at a total impasse, so I am praying what to do. I love my husband, but his decisions are not always the wisest although they may be the thriftiest. I hope you will join me in praying that God will show us what to do in this situation and that we can reach an agreement by following Him.

Meantime, I will continue to focus on this verse and pray fervently that I can trust even as the anxious thoughts attack incessantly. I hope that you will join me in my prayers and that you, too, will find the joy, peace and hope you need for whatever you are facing.