Winter has come after all! This morning I woke to hear Sheila Coles on CBC radio say, “You thought yesterday was cold?!” (Yesterday was not all fun for me!) They made a big fuss how yesterday’s -29C was beat by this morning’s -36C with a wind-chill factor making it feel like -46C! So I put my glasses on and looked at my weather station on the chest of drawers; it has a sensor to read the temperature right outside my bedroom wall. That read -29C. (The official temperature is taken at the airport where all the winds get at the equipment. Mine is sheltered by buildings and trees in the city).
However, as I continued to listen to the radio while I had my bath, I persuaded myself that it would be really smart today to stay home and not venture out at all. I could certainly write the RoseBouquet from home. True, the mission project I work on right after lunch is only on the office computer, but…I could something else in place of that.
You see, for some time now my car has trouble starting in the mornings. Having it plugged in helped, but we’d had a big dump of snowfall over Saturday night to Sunday, and the temperatures had plummeted down-down!
My car moaned and groaned but it did start in the morning, and again when I moved it to the parking area behind the mission building (Joe had been shoveling that area when I arrived). However, at 5 pm when I went out, hoping to do my banking, and some grocery shopping, it would not start.
After trying for about 10 minutes I came into the office and phoned the CAA. The woman said there would be about a 45 minute wait, but the big orange tow-truck arrived in about half the time. The young man tried boosting the battery, with his box n’ cables, and with the big truck cables, and no go. He gave up after about 15 minutes.
(Sigh!) I went back into the office and found a tangled yellow cord, so I plugged the car in and came back into my office and set about making myself a supper with a box of macaroni and cheese (from my emergency stash). I tidied up some shelves of computer/electronic parts too.
Finally, after about an hour and a quarter, I bundled myself up and in faith took along my purse and backpack, believing the car would start. It took about three tries and earnest prayer, and lo, it finally kicked in! Hallelujah!
I had phoned my neighbour Joe, during my wait and he advised going to one of those Parts Source stores, and asking them to test the battery. I headed over there, but they had closed at 6. (This was after 7 by now).
I stopped for gas, and then spied an ATM for my credit union, so did my banking and then headed home.
Back to this morning. Through my prayer time, my attitude gradually changed from wanting to hole up at home and work from there, to thinking that I could go try the car again at noon, when it would be the highest temperature we’ll have all day, and then see about having that battery tested. I could go to the office after that. Then it changed again to thinking, well, I could start out about the usual time at 9ish and go do that, and if I had to buy a new battery, I would. Then I’d be fine the rest of the day and henceforth.
A woman/clerk cheerfully came out to test my battery, but found it doing fine. She figured it must just be losing charge. Maybe even just one cell was low.
I was heading toward the office, but dreading a repeat of last night, so I detoured around to Atomic, the taxi service station where I’ve found good mechanical services before. They are booked up for the next two days. So many are having car problems, but Scott, the desk man, took pity on me and when to find a mechanic who would come with me to the office, and drive the car back so they could check it for me.
He has already called once to say the battery really is fine. But they are looking at the block heater now.
We’ve had cold winters like this every year of my life, and I know we can’t make it go away by waving our hand, or any magic formula, so I accept it. The hardest part to bear is to have car troubles at these temperatures. Yet, once I accepted that my grocery shopping plans were cancelled last night I found grace and peace to deal with the situation at a sensible pace. I was reminded this morning too, from 2 Cor. 9, about “God’s abounding grace…” So I’m not in knots over these experiences as I have some other times. That’s good too.
AFTER LUNCH: A couple of calls and I got a ride to pick up my car. Turns out there is nothing wrong with it. Just deal with the cold by keeping it plugged in when not driving! Also - no charge! Amen!