The Serpentine Belt

My An Arkie's Faith column from the January 24, 2024, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

The wheels of the airliner touched down on the runway at Portland International Airport. The flight from Dallas had been uneventful, but I was happy to leave my cramped seat and stretch my legs. After collecting our luggage, we called family members waiting at the designated cell phone lot. Within a few minutes, we were picked up and on our way to Red Robin for lunch.

After lunch, we headed out on the highway for Long Beach, Washington, where we would spend the next few days. I rode with my nephew in the Ford Escape that my brother-in-law lent me so I didn’t have to rent a car. We crossed the Columbia River and were driving on Interstate 5 when the dash of the Escape showed a battery warning light. What were we going to do? If the battery wasn’t charging, we could not reach our destination. 

We alerted other family members headed to Long Beach of our predicament and then started looking for the nearest auto parts store. We were only a few miles from Longview, Washington, and drove to the NAPA store there. We turned off the highway into the NAPA parking lot and noticed the power steering wasn’t working. I realized that we didn’t have a battery or charging system problem. A broken serpentine belt was the only thing that could make the charging system and the power steering quit simultaneously.

I popped open the hood, and sure enough, the serpentine belt was missing. Looking at the cramped quarters under the hood, I realized it was not a repair I could do in the parking lot. I started searching for mechanic shops in Longview, hoping someone could do the work that afternoon. If I couldn’t get the belt replaced, we would have to leave the car there and have someone in the family circle back and pick us up.

The first shop I called said it would be four days before they could get us in. I explained to them my predicament, but they stated they couldn’t help me. The second shop that I called was Esty’s Auto Center. When I told them my situation, they said to come to their shop, and they would see if they could work with me. I informed them that I would be right there.

I was expecting to wait several hours, but I was thankful I could get it repaired the same day and still get to Long Beach to meet up with the rest of the family. We drove the half mile to Esty’s Auto Center in just a few minutes and parked in the parking lot. I went inside and told them I had just talked to them about replacing the serpentine belt on my Ford Escape. While the lady was still taking my information, I saw a technician get into the Escape and pull it inside the shop. 

“Wow,” I thought, “I expected to have to wait for at least an hour or two.” My nephew and I sat in the waiting room and visited while waiting. The end wall was a large glass window that looked out over the work bays. I had never seen such a clean, well-organized shop. It was nothing like my own shop. The work was completed within forty-five minutes, and we would soon be back on the road.

As I paid for the job, I thanked them for getting us in so promptly. I told them about the first shop I had called, which informed me it would be four days before they could do the work.  Esty’s told me they were also scheduling work four or five days out, but when they heard that I was traveling and stranded there until I could get the work done, they made an exception for me.

I thanked them again, and we were soon on the road, just an hour behind the rest of the group. As I thought over the afternoon’s events, I couldn’t believe that we had a breakdown, and yet, in one hour, we were back on the road. Two thoughts came to my mind. Number one, there are some wonderful, thoughtful, and helpful people. Number two, it was a God thing.

When my Momma was alive, she referred to those little coincidences in life and times when things seemed to work out when they shouldn’t have as God things.  She went through life looking for those unexpected blessings she called God things. Her outlook on life has left me also looking for God things in my life.

I must confess that I never once prayed to God for help during the Serpentine Belt saga. I only prayed a prayer of thanks when it was over. A Bible verse came to mind when I was thanking God for the wonderful people at Esty’s Auto Center. “Your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” Matthew 6:8 (NKJV)

Just because I was too worried and frustrated to ask God for help didn’t mean he abandoned me. He knew what I needed and directed me to Esty’s Auto Center. “A person may plan his own journey, but the Lord directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 (GW)

The next time you feel inconvenienced or like your day is interrupted, stop and consider that you believe God is in control. God has a purpose in everything, and nothing is wasted. We only see the immediate, but God sees the bigger picture. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9 (KJV)

Gentle Reader, prayer is not about magic words or fancy speech. Prayer is about confidence that God knows us and responds to our needs. With this understanding, our words don't need to be unique or flowery, just heartfelt and genuine! And sometimes, words are not even required. Ask God to open your eyes to the God things that so often happen in your life.