day 4 :: on not going it alone

i drove to work this morning on a flat[tening] tire.

Source

i felt like something might have been wrong but a) i had left my apartment a little late and didn't want to stop, b) i'm stubborn, and c) i didn't want anything to be wrong because of what that might mean for my day and my wallet.

so i drove, getting all the more worried about making it to work. i did make it ok. and i got out of my car and walked around and saw that my back right tire rim was nearly touching the ground.

i said a quick thank you Jesus for allowing me to make it in my stubbornness and walked inside where i started worrying about what i should do. you really should learn how to change a tire, sarah, i mumbled to myself. john had played hockey late last night so i knew he'd still be sleeping and i didn't want to wake him, but i didn't want to wait too long to ask him to come help me out either. i decided i would wait about half an hour and send him a text and hope he'd be able to help me figure this all out.

another issue with my car. how much longer do i keep putting money into this thing? how much longer before i've paid more than it's worth? how am i going to afford this? what am i going to do when it finally kicks the bucket and i have to get a new car? i have no leeway in my budget for a car payment.

i still don't know the answers to these questions. but... when john responded to my text. when he arrived and changed out my tire. when he came inside to my office and became my hero for the day... i do know that my outlook changed.

so much of my worry melted as i became thankful for having him in my life. he helps me in times of stress and anxiety. he talks calmly to me, bringing a peace to the situation. and it certainly doesn't hurt that i love his hugs. (:

we were never meant to get through this life alone.

the Lord God said, "it is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." [gen 2:18]

carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. [gal 6:2]

all the unpredictability, burdens and general craziness of life are easier to navigate when you have someone to do it with. be it a boyfriend, a husband, a friend, a sister, a parent... fears lose some of their hold on us when we share them with someone else. we gain strength and support. we find confidence. we are blessed with relationships in our lives not just for the good, fun times, but for the difficult, scary times, too.

as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. [proverbs 27:17]

who is in your life helping you cast out your fears?