32 Miles

We knew we had a problem when the transmission fluid in our Buick was poured from the bottle, to the transmission, to the floor. I kept getting the impression that I needed to take the car in. The individuals who had lived in our apartment before us got a coupon in the mail from a local car repair shop that was a discount on transmission repair. So I called them up and took our car in a week later.

The repair cost turned out not to be too expensive and we just needed a new pan. What was startling was when they were going through the check list of things that were wrong with our car.

Manifold Gasket.

WAIT!! This same gasket cost us 1,400 in repairs last year and we had to fix our radiator fluid and hoses because of it. I was furious. (I had even taken the car back to the repair shop because the oil change place said the radiator fluid was dirty. They assured me nothing was wrong.)

The repair man at the new place started pointing out the leak and one that was adjoining it.

So we went home and checked our warranty. Bryce was sure that we had surpassed it with driving to and from Rexburg to Idaho Falls. But we checked the odometer and pulled out the paper work. The repair was guaranteed 12,00o miles. We pulled out the calculator and found that we were at 11,968. 32 miles.

We called up the new repair shop, they were both NAPA certified, and said we were still under warranty. There were other needed repairs and because everything was being taken apart they could cover the labor under the warranty. What would have been over a thousand dollars in repairs we paid only $230 in parts.

It was one of those moments that left me with an assurance that the Lord knows who I am, my struggles, and that he is aware that we pay our tithing even though we are struggling to get by. A non believer may think it was luck, but it was providence in my eyes. Those 32 miles were a miracle.