So this morning was … challenging.

We had to be at the car place around 10 for them to replace the handle on our minivan’s rear sliding door which broke in my hand a week ago (the automatic sliding feature died years go and is too expensive to fix so we tug on the handle a lot and it finally broke).

Anyway, at 9 a.m. I had to wake Erin up. From 9:10 to 9:30, I begged for shoes to be put on and for everyone to get in the van. They all needed hats for some reason and turned on lights I’d already turned off and looked at me strangely when I shoo-ed them out the door. And finally, we were all in the van.

Which wouldn’t start. Apparently, I also have an electrical problem in the van.

So I got out to jump it. But I forgot to pop the hood first, and the driver’s side door has a loose panel on the bottom so it won’t just open. So I had to yank it open and bang the panel back into place, and THEN I could release the hood and hook on the Cobra JumPack that my parents got me for Christmas (best present ever, seriously). Started the van up and headed to town.

When we got there, I found the guy I needed. Moved my van to his area. But the 30-minute quick door handle fix turned into a 1-hour, 2-man job. I felt so bad for them. I had all 4 kids with me, too, and no easy way to go anywhere else. So we hung out. We looked at the cars on the lot. We found some shade and goofed off there for awhile. Until Timmy fell and scraped his knee in the gravel (I did have band-aids, PTL), and boo-hoo-ed until they finally said the van was done.

And it wouldn’t start again. But I guess a car lot is about the best possible place for a dead battery, so one of them jumped the van for me. I paid, thanked them again, and drove through Tim Horton’s for Timbits.

THEN, we headed on our next adventure. Megan’s dentist appointment had been rescheduled for today (instead of next Wednesday), so we were heading from Zanesville to Coshocton. My 30-minute cushion of extra time had been used up at the car place and there was serious concern (on my part) that the van wouldn’t start when we came out of the dentist. YIKES.

But there wasn’t much to do but go. And it went well. Everyone pottied. Megan had a great visit (no cavities and a purple Belle toothbrush!). The other three played screens and behaved themselves. And when we got back outside … the van started up on the first try!

THANK YOU, JESUS!

So it was a challenging morning. But I got rescued. Over and over again. In big ways and little ways. By people like my parents who gave me a Christmas gift last year that meant my today wasn’t derailed before it ever got started. And the guy at the car place who jumped my van without a hesitation. And my MIL who was willing to come if we needed.

And Jesus did a great deal of rescuing. My attitude never crashed (okay, at least not after I beat the driver’s side door panel back into place). I managed to keep my kids afloat on a long, boring morning. My van started when I needed it to. I even found the tiny piece of plastic that covers the prongs in the JumPack … twice. I’d dropped it first thing this morning, found it as soon as we got home, dropped it again, and (after one final plea) found it a second time far from anywhere I would have expected it to bounce. Well, okay, then.

To tell the truth, though, I don’t much like to rescued. It requires admitting I need help in the first place. And frankly, not every rescue means “all is well,” or “I get my way.” It was not a fun morning. But it drove me hard toward the Jesus who claims He is enough to satisfy me. I’m learning to lean into that promise. Even when things are challenging or complicated or just not what I had in mind. Hard as it is, I’m learning to wait expectantly for him to show up.

And I’m finding that He always does.